Psychological distress and well-being: their association with temporomandibular disorder symptoms

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 (alpha = 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.