Effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on anxiety in patients with masticatory muscle pain

Arifagaoglu, Ozge; Secgin, Cansu Koseoglu; Yuzugullu, Bulem

Statement of problem Although psychological disorders have been established as one of the etiological factors for temporomandibular disorders, anxiety levels in individuals with masticatory muscle pain before and during the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic have not previously been compared. Purpose The purpose of this clinical study was to evaluate anxiety levels in patients with masticatory muscle pain at times before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Material and methods Eighty patients (18 to 68 years) with masticatory muscle pain were included in the study. All participants had completed the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7 questionnaire (GAD-7) before the first COVID-19 infection had been reported in Turkey. After the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, all participants were contacted by telephone to repeat the GAD-7 to evaluate changes in their psychology during the first lock-down. However, 18 of the 80 patients were unreachable. A statistical analysis was performed by using the Mann-Whitney U test. Proportion comparisons between sociodemographic characteristics and GAD-7 levels were performed by using the Fisher exact test (α=.05). Results Forty-eight (60%) of the study population were women, 32 (40%) were men, with a mean age ±standard deviation of 36.63 ±13.85 years. Both before and during pandemic GAD-7 scores were statistically similar as was each demographic parameter, including sex, educational status, and occupational status (P>.05). Also, no significant correlation was recorded between age and before and during pandemic GAD-7 global scores (r=-0.098 and r=-0.052, respectively, P>.05). However, during pandemic GAD-7 scores were statistically higher than before pandemic GAD-7 scores (P<.001). Conclusions Demographic parameters had no connection with anxiety levels in patients with masticatory muscle pain before and during the COVID-19 pandemic periods. However, the COVID-19 pandemic anxiety levels in the participants were higher compared with levels before the pandemic.