Association between depression, anxiety, and stress and oral health-related quality of life in adolescents

This cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate the association between the degree of depression, anxiety, and stress and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of adolescents aged 11 to 19 years from Santa Maria, Brazil. The Child Perception Questionnaire (CPQ 11-14) was used to evaluate OHRQoL. The degree of anxiety, depression, and stress was assessed using the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale - Short Form (DASS-21). Additionally, sociodemographic, clinical, and psychosocial variables were considered. Adjusted Poisson regression models were applied to examine the associations between predictive variables and overall CPQ11-14 scores. Results are reported as rate ratio (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). A total of 164 adolescents were evaluated. The mean DASS-21 scores for depression, anxiety, and stress were 6.9 (standard deviation [SD] 9.0), 8.7 (SD 8.9), and 11.9 (SD 9.7), respectively. The mean CPQ 11-14 score was 12.2 (SD 10.3). Adolescents with high levels of depression (RR = 1.03; 95%CI: 1.02-1.05) and stress (RR = 1.02; 95%CI: 1.01-1.04) presented higher CPQ 11-14 scores, indicating a significant impact of those symptoms on OHRQoL. In conclusion, adolescents with high depression and stress scores experienced poorer OHRQoL, highlighting the need for integrated mental health and oral health interventions to improve their overall well-being.