Anxiety and Facial Self-Contacts as Risk Factors for COVID-19 in Dental Practice.

Abstract

Background: This study makes innovative contributions regarding the association of facial self-contact frequency and duration in dental clinic patients with psychosocial factors such as dental fear, fear of COVID-19 and trait anxiety, because such self-contact could have an impact on the transmission of SARS-CoV-2.Results: Statistically significant associations were found between the number and duration of facial self-contacts with trait anxiety and dental fear. Women showed more frequent self-contact of the face in general and considering dental anxiety, we observe that the amount of self-contact for women remained. However, in men as dental fear increases, so do facial self-contacts. Trait anxiety is a mediating variable in the relationship between dental anxiety and the number of facial self-contacts.Conclusions: There is a positive association between the number of facial self-contacts and trait anxiety and dental anxiety. However, there is no association between self-contacts and fear of COVID-19. Women make a greater number of facial self-contacts, more trait anxiety and more dental anxiety. The relationship between dental anxiety and self-contacts was moderated by gender and the relationship between dental anxiety and self-contacts is mediated by trait anxiety.

Cognitive and emotional regulation processes of spontaneous facial self-touch are activated in the first milliseconds of touch: Replication of previous EEG findings and further insights

“…Previous research findings indicate that sFST occur more frequently when negative emotions, such as anxiety, tension, discomfort, or insecurity, are evoked (Carrillo-Díaz et al, 2020;D'Alessio & Zazzetta, 1986;Goldberg & Rosenthal, 1986;Harrigan, 1985;Knöfler & Imhof, 2007;Moszkowski & Stack, 2007). Recent studies have shown a positive association between trait anxiety and the number of sFST (Carrillo-Díaz et al, 2020;Carrillo-Díaz et al, 2021). In this context, emotion-regulating functions are attributed to sFST (D'Alessio & Zazzetta, 1986;Grunwald et al, 2014;Harrigan, 1985;Moszkowski & Stack, 2007;Mueller et al, 2019;Reissland, Aydin, et al, 2015a;Reissland, Francis, et al, 2015b).…”

“…Previous research findings indicate that sFST occur more frequently when negative emotions, such as anxiety, tension, discomfort, or insecurity, are evoked (Carrillo-Díaz et al, 2020;D'Alessio & Zazzetta, 1986;Goldberg & Rosenthal, 1986;Harrigan, 1985;Knöfler & Imhof, 2007;Moszkowski & Stack, 2007). Recent studies have shown a positive association between trait anxiety and the number of sFST (Carrillo-Díaz et al, 2020;Carrillo-Díaz et al, 2021).…”

“…Although the power increase in the frequency bands a-sFST did not reach the critical Bonferroni criterion, the EEG pattern supports the hypothesis that sFST may be involved in emotional regulation processes, due to the negative valence as well as the distraction effect caused by the sounds. Recent studies have shown a positive association between trait anxiety and the number of sFST (Carrillo-Díaz et al, 2020;Carrillo-Díaz et al, 2021). Because touching one's own face is associated with the transmission of pathogens, a number of researchers addressed the need to reduce face-touching behaviors (Chen et al, 2020;Lucas et al, 2020;Senthilkumaran et al, 2020).…”