Effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on anxiety in patients with masticatory muscle pain

Abstract

Statement of problem Although psychological disorders have been established as one of the etiological factors for temporomandibular disorders, anxiety levels in individuals with masticatory muscle pain before and during the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic have not previously been compared. Purpose The purpose of this clinical study was to evaluate anxiety levels in patients with masticatory muscle pain at times before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Material and methods Eighty patients (18 to 68 years) with masticatory muscle pain were included in the study. All participants had completed the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7 questionnaire (GAD-7) before the first COVID-19 infection had been reported in Turkey. After the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, all participants were contacted by telephone to repeat the GAD-7 to evaluate changes in their psychology during the first lock-down. However, 18 of the 80 patients were unreachable. A statistical analysis was performed by using the Mann-Whitney U test. Proportion comparisons between sociodemographic characteristics and GAD-7 levels were performed by using the Fisher exact test (α=.05). Results Forty-eight (60%) of the study population were women, 32 (40%) were men, with a mean age ±standard deviation of 36.63 ±13.85 years. Both before and during pandemic GAD-7 scores were statistically similar as was each demographic parameter, including sex, educational status, and occupational status ( P >.05). Also, no significant correlation was recorded between age and before and during pandemic GAD-7 global scores (r=-0.098 and r=-0.052, respectively, P >.05). However, during pandemic GAD-7 scores were statistically higher than before pandemic GAD-7 scores ( P <.001). Conclusions Demographic parameters had no connection with anxiety levels in patients with masticatory muscle pain before and during the COVID-19 pandemic periods. However, the COVID-19 pandemic anxiety levels in the participants were higher compared with levels before the pandemic.

Salival biomarkers in inflamatory oro-cranio-cervical inflamatory alterations

“…In a study conducted with patients who suffered from pain in the masticatory muscles, anxiety levels were measured before and after the COVID 19 pandemic using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7 (GAD-7) questionnaire. Anxiety levels rose during the pandemic [14], and this also happened among the participants of the study who reported high levels of stress due to multiple causes such as losing their jobs or being in lockdown. It has been determined that circumstances such as being under high levels of psychological stress, and muscular overload, lead to the development of one or more muscle bands on which there may be a latent trigger point [15].…”

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health and academic performance of medical postgraduates

“…Categorical variables were described as counts ( n ) and percentages (%). The questionnaire scores were expressed as mean ± SD, and between-group statistical comparisons were made using an independent sample t -test or the Mann-Whitney U test, depending on normal distribution ( 25 , 26 ). Two-sided P -values were considered significant at p < 0.05.…”

Effect of Masticatory Muscle Pain on Life Quality and Anxiety Level

“…15 Birçok çalışmada TMD'e sahip hastaların OHIP-14 ve GAD-7 anket sonuçları değerlendirilmiştir. [16][17][18] Ancak bu çalışmalarda yalnızca çiğneme kas hastalığına sahip TMD vakaları izole edilmemiş, ayrıca eğitim durumu ve meslek durumuna göre karşılaştırma yapılmamıştır. Bu çalışmanın amacı, yalnızca çiğneme kası ağrısına sahip TMD hastalarının ağız sağlığını değerlendiren OHIP-14 anketi ile GAD-7 anket puanlanma sonuçlarını cinsiyet, eğitim durumu ve mesleki duruma göre karşılaştırmak ve yaş…”

“…GAD-7, 0 (hiç), 1 (birkaç gün), 2 (günlerin yarısından fazlası), 3 (hemen hemen her gün) olmak üzere 7 madde ve 4 cevap seçeneği içermektedir. 0 ile 21 arasında değişen toplam puanlar, her bir maddeye verilen cevapların aritmetik toplamı ile hesaplanmış ve 16 minimal (0-4), hafif (5-9), orta (10)(11)(12)(13)(14) ve şiddetli (15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21) olmak üzere orijinal forma göre dört alt gruba ayrılmıştır.…”