Temporomandibular Disorder Symptoms and their Association with Anxiety and Depression Among University Students

Abstract

The aim of the study was to assess the presence of anxiety and depression among the University students, and its impact on temporomandibular disorders (TMD). 145 Bachelor of Dental Science students (Year 1-Year 4; 40% male and 60% female) at Charles Sturt University (CSU) were participated in the study. Each participant completed questionnaires on the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales (DASS), the Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (RDC/TMD), the Tampa scale for Kinesiophobia (TSK) and the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS). Statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS version 22.0. A total of 46% students reported symptoms of TMD. Among them, 59 (40.7%) students reported presence of jaw click, 54 (37.2%) reported presence of joint pain and 26 (17.9%) reported difficulty in opening mouth. Results indicated that students who reported jaw pain (p=.004) or difficulty in opening mouth (p=.016) experienced headache symptoms. Students who reported the TMD symptoms of jaw click (69.5%), jaw pain (63%) and difficulty in opening (61.5%) were all female students. Female students experiencing jaw click was found to be significant (p =.000). Students who reported a high DASS score (indicating depression and anxiety) are significantly correlated with self-assessed TMD symptoms (jaw click, p=.054; jaw pain, p=.002 and difficulty upon opening, p=.028, respectively). This study found a significant correlation between the presence of anxiety and depression among university students and its subsequent impact on temporomandibular disorders. This leads to a recommendation for counselling and support services being made more widely available.