A large global survey of migraine patients which included over 11,000 respondents from 31 countries found that many migraine sufferers commonly deal with functional impairments at work due to their symptoms. Respondents of the survey had at least four migraine days per month, and nearly 40% had lived with migraine for a period of at least 16 years. Of those in the survey who were employed, approximately 60% reported missing an average of 4.6 days per week per month because of their migraine symptoms. The Work Productivity and Activity Impairment (WPAI) questionnaire, which was used to assess work impairment in the respondents, found that 63% of those in the survey who were from the US reported reduced productivity at work due to migraine symptoms (Practical Neurology, 2018). Moreover, the economic costs of migraine are quite significant. In the United States, an estimated $11 billion dollars is lost every year due to missed work days and reduced productivity (Practical Neurology, 2018).
The migraine community too often deals with stigmatization in the workplace, as well as little to no support or accommodation from employers. In the survey, most of the respondents indicated that their employers knew about their migraine symptoms, but just 21% of the respondents were offered any form of assistance from their employers (Practical Neurology, 2018). To help educate employers about the burdens and management strategies of migraine in the workplace, Amgen has partnered with Piper Jordan to offer a program called Manage My Migraine. This program is aimed at providing employers with educational resources that can help them provide proper support and accommodation to employees who suffer from migraine symptoms at work. As a result, this can help to reduce lost productivity while also minimizing stigmatization of the disease in the workplace.
Interested in learning more about Migraine research? Please call 561-845-0500. The Premiere Research Institute in West Palm Beach regularly conducts clinical research studies in the field of Migraines. To find out more about these studies click here or sign up for their newsletter to keep informed about the newest treatments, articles, and research that are being conducted in the field of Migraines.
References:
Addressing the High Impact of Migraine at Work. Practical Neurology. (2018, July). Retrieved August 29, 2018, from http://practicalneurology.com/news/?id=51909¢er=39