ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION PREVALENCE IN TEMPOROMANDIBULAR JOINT DISORDER PATIENTS

Introduction: TMD stands for Temporomandibular joint disorders which frequently affect the jaw structure and result in sustained pain together with functional dysregulation. Research findings indicate that Temporomandibular joint disorders (TMD) strongly relate to mental health challenges which primarily include anxiety as well as depression symptoms. The researcher conducts an assessment of anxiety and depression levels within the TMD patient population to determine the pain severity linked with psychological distress. Objectives: The research assesses both the prevalence of anxiety and depression among TMD patients while determining how TMD severity affects psychological distress levels. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional research was performed at DHQ Hospital Karak KPK, Pakistan from January, 2024 to June 2024. Researchers tested 250 TMD patients using GAD-7 for anxiety and PHQ-9 for depression diagnosis. The study used the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) to evaluate pain intensity among participants. Results: The research showed that anxiety reached moderate to severe levels in 56% of patients while depression levels demonstrated the same severity in 58% of patients. Anxiety and depression psychological stress levels were strongly correlated with experiencing severe TMD pain, as measured by a VAS score of more than seven (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Because anxiety and depression are common in TMD patients, integrated therapy approaches are necessary for both pain management and mental health improvement.