The association between sleep quality, depression, anxiety and stress levels, and temporomandibular joint disorders among Turkish dental students during the COVID-19 pandemic

ABSTRACT

Objective

This study aimed to examine the association between sleep quality, depression, anxiety and stress levels, and the frequency of temporomandibular disorders in a sample of Turkish dental students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

The current cross-sectional study was conducted with 699 dental university students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Fonseca Anamnestic Index (FAI), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) were used in the present study.

Results

The incidence of temporomandibular joint disorders in the present study was found to be 77.5%. Female students’ FAI scores were found to be statistically significantly higher than males (p < 0.05). Additionally, higher depression and anxiety and stress levels caused increased PSQI and FAI scores.

Conclusion

During the COVID-19 pandemic, increased temporomandibular joint disorders were observed with increased impaired sleep quality and higher depression, anxiety and stress levels among dental university students.

KEYWORDS:

• COVID-19
• pandemics
• temporomandibular joint disorders
• depression
• sleep

Disclosure statement

The authors have no conflicts of interests to declare in connection with this article.

Additional information

Funding

No funding was received for this study.