The �Headstrong Program� was designed to capitalize on the psychological strategies known to be effective for headache management while at the same time presenting these strategies in a cost-effective and developmentally appropriate format.

Headstrong is a standalone CD-ROM program targeted at children ages 7-12 (the most common age range for the onset of disabling recurrent headaches).

Headstrong incorporates education about recurrent headache in a language children can understand and teaches children research-supported strategies for reducing headache activity. The education component of the Headstrong program presents developmentally appropriate information on the prevalence, diagnosis, assessment, cause, and experience of recurrent pediatric headache (migraine and tension-type headache) through visual displays, narration, and interactive menus. The treatment component of the program contains lessons on how to use various research-supported psychological treatments to self-manage recurrent headaches.

A workbook accompanies the CD-ROM and contains all the supplementary material required for the self-management intervention (homework assignments, headache diaries, questionnaires, etc.). Parents also receive a manual containing information about the program, their role in the intervention, and technical assistance information. The program is designed such that the child him or herself can learn headache management strategies in an enjoyable way without the need for several clinic visits.

Advantages:The World Health Organization has initiated an international campaign to �lift the burden� of headache sufferers by focusing on developing and implementing effective treatments. The Headstrong program fits well within this mission by offering children a way of managing headaches without the need for several clinic visits. Thus, the program is more cost-effective than traditional clinic-based ways of teaching children skills to reduce headache activity. Further, because the program is self-directed, children do not have to miss school for clinic appointments. The program is fully narrated such that younger children with difficulty reading can still learn headache management skills by listening to the narration for each screen. In addition, although research has shown psychological strategies for headache management to be as effective, if not more effective, than pharmacological treatments, typically these psychological strategies are tailored to older children or adolescents. The CD-ROM format offers a means of catching the interest of younger children such that they can learn headache management skills early on and offset the risk of developing a chronic lifelong pain syndrome.

File Number: 02KUMC295 

Other Information: *Testing* Results from a randomized clinical trial indicated that individuals receiving the Headstrong program had significant reductions in headache frequency, duration, and intensity.The initial version of the Headstrong program has been completed and has been subjected to a randomized clinical trial to pilot test its efficacy. Results from this trial indicated that individuals receiving the Headstrong program had significant reductions in headache frequency, duration, and intensity above and beyond individuals receiving standard medical care alone. Further, over half (53%) of participants receiving the Headstrong CD-ROM program were considered clinically significantly improved at 1-month post-treatment versus 20% of participants receiving standard medical care alone. Thus, initial data support the efficacy of the Headstrong program in significantly reducing headache activity above and beyond what can be attained with medical care alone.

The program has been featured on Fox 4 News in Kansas City and in the KU Medical Center�s Alumni Magazine.

References:
Connelly, M., Rapoff, M. A., Thompson, N., & Connelly, W. (2004). �Headstrong�: A Pilot Study of a CD-ROM Intervention for Recurrent Pediatric Headache (under review).

Connelly, M., Rapoff, M. A., Thompson, N., & Duke-Woodside, M. (2004). A pilot study of a computer-based intervention for recurrent pediatric headache. Paper presented at the Division 54 Society of Pediatric Psychology Conference, Charleston, SC.

Connelly, M. (2002). Recurrent pediatric headache: A comprehensive review. Children�s Health Care, 32(3), 153-189.

Connelly, M., & Rapoff, M. A. (2002). New invention disclosure: �Headstrong.� Technology Transfer & Intellectual Property News, 1(9), 1