Revelation of Spiritual Challenges in Migraine from Patients' Perspective: A Qualitative-Descriptive Study

Background Migraine sufferers face serious challenges in their general health that require holistic attention to all aspects of their existence, including the spiritual dimension. Since it is not possible to provide effective spiritual interventions without accurately identifying the spiritual challenges of patients, this study was conducted with the aim of revealing the spiritual challenges of migraine patients. Methods This is a qualitative descriptive study that was conducted on migraine patients in Iran during 2024–2025. The participants were purposefully selected from 6 private and public health centers in Bam, Iran. Data collection was done through semi-structured interviews. Data were analyzed using the Greenheim and Lundmann method. The robustness of the data was ensured by examining the Lincoln and Guba criteria. Results The participants were 25 patients with migraine (15 females, 10 males). The first category, "Falling into the trap of guilt", consisted of 3 subcategories: "Conflict in Servitude", "Conflict in the Performance of Religious Practice", and "Conflict in God's Justice". The second category, "Traumatic Spiritual-Social Activism," consists of 3 subcategories: "Externalization of Disease and the Negative Impact of Social Relationships", "Resistance to Accepting Responsibility in Controlling the Disease", and "Disrupted Social Relationships". The third category, "Damaged Self-Esteem," includes 3 subcategories: "Fear of Losing the Future"," Dissatisfaction with oneself ", and "Lack of Empathetic Relationships". The fourth category; "Conflict with the Spiritual Self" consist of 4 Subcategories: "Destructive Self-Awareness", "Traumatic Idealism", "Self- Involvement" and "Despair" and the fifth category; " Separation from the Creation World " consisted of 3 subcategories: "Nesting", "The Darkness of the World", and "Suppression of thoughts of Death". Conclusion This study revealed significant results for healthcare providers. Migraine is associated with many spiritual consequences that suggest the necessity of discovering the spiritual needs of patients to design patient-centered spiritual interventions to manage their problems in cooperation with all members of the health team.