Comorbidity between depression and anxiety in patients with temporomandibular disorders according to the research diagnostic criteria for temporomandibular disorders

Aims: To examine the extent of depression, anxiety, somatization, and comorbidity between depression and anxiety in patients with temporomandibular disorders (TMD) by adding the Symptom Checklist-90 Revised self-report questionnaire for anxiety to the Research Diagnostic Criteria for TMD. Methods: A total of 207 Israeli TMD patients were included in this retrospective study. Data included levels of depression, anxiety, somatization, and comorbidity in the study group as a whole, in chronic pain TMD patients compared to acute pain TMD patients, and in chronic pain TMD patients according to their Graded Chronic Pain Scale score. Spearman correlation was used to assess the level of correlation between depression, anxiety, and somatization. Fisher exact test or Pearson chi-square test was used to compare the categorical variables. Results: When depression, anxiety, somatization, and comorbidity were analyzed in a multidimensional approach, there were statistically significant differences between subgroups as to depression and somatization only. No statistically significant differences were found as to anxiety and comorbidity. Conclusion: Multidimensional assessment enabled differentiation between findings of depression, anxiety, somatization, and comorbidity in subgroups of TMD patients. The findings of no statistically significant differences between subgroups of TMD patients as to anxiety and comorbidity support previous studies on TMD and anxiety, which suggest a less significant role of anxiety in chronic TMD patients as compared to depression and somatization.