Why Seek Treatment for Temporomandibular Disorder Pain Complaints? A Study Based on Semi-structured Interviews

Aims: To assess possible differences between care seekers and non-care seekers with temporomandibular disorder (TMD) pain complaints, by using semi-structured interviews. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were held with 16 subjects who had TMD- pain complaints: 8 care seekers and 8 non-care seekers, matched for age, sex, pain intensity, and fear of movement. Subjects were selected from a previously held survey study, with their consent. The interviews were audiotaped, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed according to qualitative content analysis. Results: From the analysis, seven themes differentiating care seekers from non-care seekers were identified: catastrophizing, pain management, assertiveness, critical attitude towards health care, confidence in medical care, recognition, and adequate referral. Conclusion: Aspects upon which care seekers differed from non-care seekers were mainly person-related characteristics. Next to these characteristics, it appeared that inadequate referrals may play a role in care seeking. The use of semi-structured interviews may further improve insights into processes that determine care seeking among people with TMD pain complaints. Keywords: care seeking, health care practitioners, qualitative research, semi-structured interviews, temporo-disorder pain