Psychological distress and well-being: their association with temporomandibular disorder symptoms
Carolina Marpaung, Adrian Ujin Yap, Isya Hanin, Astrya Fitryanur
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the associations between temporomandibular disorder (TMD) symptoms, psychological distress, and well-being. METHODS: A total of 372 university students were recruited and stratified into no TMD, TMD pain, TMJ sounds, and combined TMD groups. Psychological distress and well-being were assessed with the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) and Scales of Psychological Well-being-18 (SPWB-18), respectively. Data were appraised with Kruskal-Wallis/Mann-Whitney U tests and logistic regression analysis (α = 0.05). RESULTS: Significant differences in anxiety, stress, and autonomy scores were observed among the four groups, and psychological distress was mostly negatively correlated to psychological well-being. Multivariate analyses revealed that anxiety was associated with TMD pain, TMJ sounds, and combined TMD, while autonomy was related to TMJ sounds. CONCLUSION: Participants with TMD symptoms generally experienced more psychological distress and lower autonomy. Anxiety appeared to increase the likelihood of TMD pain and/or TMJ sounds.