A Psychological Perspective on Temporomandibular Disorders: Evaluating Anxiety and Depression Symptoms

Authors : Elif Çoban, Mert Bilgin, Berkan Altay, Gözde Nur Erkan

Pages : 32-38

Doi:10.54617/adoklinikbilimler.1777323

View : 65 | Download : 122

Publication Date : 2026-01-27

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :Objective: Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) are multifactorial conditions affected by both physical and psychological factors. The present study aimed to compare the levels of anxiety and depression in individuals with TMD with those in healthy controls, as well as to examine the associations of these psychological parameters with demographic variables. Materials and Methods: A total of 62 participants, including 31 patients with TMD and 31 healthy individuals aged between 18 and 40 years, were included in the study. Clinical and demographic data were collected, and psychological assessments were conducted using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-I and STAI-II). Results: State anxiety levels were found to be significantly higher in the TMD group as compared to the control group (p=0.007) by Student’s t-test. No statistically significant differences were observed between the groups in terms of trait anxiety levels (p>0.05). Similarly, BDI scores did not differ significantly between the groups (p>0.05). No significant associations were found between psychological parameters and age, sex, or educational level (p>0.05). Conclusion: Within the limitations of this study, individuals with TMD exhibited higher levels of state anxiety compared with healthy controls. Based on this finding, we conclude that psychological assessments may constitute an integral part of the management of patients with TMD, and the treatment should address not only the TMD condition itself but also the accompanying psychological factors.
Keywords : Anksiyete, Depresyon, Psikoloji, Temporomandibular eklem bozuklukları

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