Somatic and temporomandibular disorder symptoms - Idioms of psychological distress in Southeast Asian youths

ABSTRACT

Objective

To evaluate the prevalence/severity of somatic and temporomandibular disorder (TMD) symptoms in Southeast Asian youths and determine their associations with psychological distress.

Methods

Demographic information, Patient Health Questionnaire-15 (PHQ-15), Fonseca Anamnestic Index (FAI), and Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) responses were gathered electronically and analyzed using non-parametric statistical and logistic regression analysis (p < 0.05).

Results

Of 400 youths (mean age 18.7 ± 1.7 years; 52.3% females), 65.0%/47.0% reported somatic/TMD symptoms, and 10.5% had TMDs. Significant differences in psychological distress were observed among the varying severity of somatic/TMD symptoms. Correlations between PHQ-15/FAI and DASS-21 scores were weak to moderately strong (r_s = 0.30–0.61). Stepwise logistic regression indicated that female gender, TMD symptoms, and stress were risk factors for somatic symptoms, while somatic symptoms and stress were probable factors for TMDs.

Conclusion

Somatic and TMD symptoms are common in Southeast Asian youths and may be a manifestation of psychological distress.

KEYWORDS:

• Somatization
• temporomandibular disorders
• depression
• anxiety
• stress

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Ansari A and Ali I for facilitating the administration of this project as well as the students of Tutorial Group DT1701 for their assistance in data collection.

Disclosure statement

The authors have no conflict of interest to declare relating to this research.

Additional information

Funding

This research was not funded.