Abstract
A correlational cross-sectional research design was conducted to examine the extent to which psychosocial factors, including Migraine Interictal Burden, Pain Perception, Perceived Stress, and Doctor-patient relationship, differ in the level of treatment satisfaction in medication and acupuncture treatment groups. The sample comprised (n= 30) MTG, (M = 25.53, SD = 2.93) and (n=30) ATG, (M = 27.7, SD =2.86) recruited through convenience and snowball sampling strategy from private hospitals and clinics. Data was collected using standardized measures, including Migraine Interictal Burden Scale (MIBS-4), Pain Belief and Perception Inventory (PBPI), Perceived Stress scale (PSS-10), Patient-Doctor Relationship Questionnaire (PDRQ) and Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy Treatment Satisfaction General (FACIT-TS-G). The findings revealed that the acupuncture treatment group reported comparatively higher treatment satisfaction than the Medication Treatment Group. It was found that among both groups, individuals who reported higher Migraine interictal burden perceive their pain as permanent, who believe that their pain is mysterious, also believe that pain is permanent and constant, and who believe pain is permanent also believe that it’s constant, and a healthy DPR tends to increase the treatment satisfaction. However, the findings of the MTG are that individuals who reported higher Migraine interictal burden perceive their pain as mysterious, who believe that pain is permanent and constant, reported decreased treatment satisfaction. Furthermore, the findings of the ATG are that individual who reported higher Migraine interictal burden perceive their pain as constant, who believe that their pain is mysterious, also report more perceived stress and blame themselves more for their pain, and who believe that pain is permanent and constant report higher perceived stress. Regression analysis indicated that psychological factors were not found to be non-significant predictors of treatment satisfaction in both cohorts. However, the doctor-patient relationship was a significant predictor of treatment satisfaction in the ATG. The doctor-patient relationship was found to be a non-significant mediator in both cohorts, suggesting it’s a significant factor, but not as a mediator. Meaningful differences emerged across sociodemographic and clinical factors. Women reported higher treatment satisfaction in MTG. On the other hand, the women reported pain as more mysterious in ATG. Individuals who have migraine with aura perceive their pain as more permanent and constant in MTG. The finding underscores the importance of addressing psychosocial determinants and sociodemographic variations, raises awareness about the efficacy of acupuncture treatment, and calls for better policies to allow more practice of acupuncture for effective treatment outcomes