Epidemiological research has documented a strong association between medication-overuse headache (MOH)and psychiatric disorders, emotional disturbances, and disordered personality traits, which are associated with worse outcomes, poorer quality of life, and higher costs to the health care system.

Identifying risk factors for progression of headache into MOH represents one of the most relevant public health priorities and psychiatric comorbidity has been identified as a potential factor related to chronic phases.

The aim of the present study was to determine whether depression and insomnia complaints were associated with satisfaction and enjoyment with one's own life in Medication-overuse headache (MOH) patients, and whether insomnia complaints were able to explain part of the variance of QoL explained by depression.

Participants were 187 consecutive adult outpatients admitted to the outpatient headache clinic. Patients were administered the Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire (Q-LES-Q), the Beck Depression Inventory–II (BDI-II), and the Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS).

The BDI was associated with all the dimensions of the Q-LES-Q, with more severe depression being associated independently with lower satisfaction and enjoyment with one's own life. The AIS was independently and significantly associated only with physical health, such that patients with more insomnia complaints were 3.1 times (P < 0.001) more likely to report lower physical health satisfaction.

Our findings confirmed that MOH has a negative impact on quality of life, and suggested that depression and insomnia were independently associated with satisfaction and enjoyment of life in MOH patients.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.