Psychosocial impact of chronic oral mucosal pain disorders: Associations with oral health related quality of life, anxiety, and depression.

BACKGROUND

Chronic oral mucosal pain disorders, including Burning Mouth Syndrome (BMS), Oral Lichen Planus (OLP), Atypical Odontalgia, and Persistent Idiopathic Facial Pain, are debilitating conditions that significantly impair oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL). These disorders are frequently associated with psychological distress, particularly anxiety and depression; however, studies integrating assessments of OHRQoL with psychological morbidity remain limited.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the impact of chronic oral mucosal pain disorders on OHRQoL, anxiety, and depression, and to identify psychological predictors of impaired quality of life.

METHODS

A case-control study was conducted involving 52 patients with chronic oral mucosal pain disorders and 52 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. OHRQoL was assessed using the Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14), and psychological distress was measured using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Group comparisons were performed using independent t-tests and chi-square tests. Multivariable linear regression identified independent predictors of OHIP-14 scores, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis evaluated the ability of OHIP-14 to detect depression.

RESULTS

Patients showed significantly higher OHIP-14 scores than controls (28.3 ± 6.0 vs. 11.7 ± 5.0; p < 0.0001). Clinically relevant anxiety and depression were present in 84.6% and 80.8% of patients, respectively. Anxiety and depression independently predicted poorer OHRQoL, while demographic factors and symptom duration were not significant. OHIP-14 demonstrated good diagnostic accuracy for depression (Area under the curve (AUC) = 0.85).

CONCLUSION

Chronic oral mucosal pain disorders (COMPD) are associated with marked impairment in quality of life and substantial psychological burden, underscoring the need for routine psychological screening in oral medicine practice.