Stress-related coping styles, anxiety, and neuroticism in university students with myalgia temporomandibular: A case control study.

Abstract

Patients suffering pain-related temporomandibular disorders (TMD) exhibit greater levels of psychological distress, environmental stress, somatic symptoms, anxiety, depression, pain catastrophizing, and impaired pain coping strategies compared to pain-free controls. However, little is known about psychological factors involved in the different TMD types. Furthermore, regardless of severity or TMD type, the role of stress-related coping strategies and styles in TMD is not yet well understood. The main goal of this study was to investigate stress-related coping styles, anxiety and personality traits in a group of dentistry students suffering from temporomandibular disorder with myalgia.  A cohort of 102 university students was initially recruited for this study. Following clinical evaluation, a myalgia group (24 participants) and a control group (25 participants) were formed. Participants were later assessed in anxiety, stress coping strategies, and personality measures. The myalgia group presented greater levels of trait anxiety and neuroticism in comparison to the control group. Participants with myalgia also showed higher levels of avoidance coping. Avoidance coping strategies are generally considered maladaptive, as they seem to increase perceived stress, a robust predictor of TMD.