The mental state of and stress in subjects with symptoms of craniomandibular dysfunction (CMD)

CMD diagnoses and stress and mental state parameters of a pool comprising 564 subjects involved in the Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP-0) and the associated project Munderkrankungen und Kraniomandibuläre Dysfunktionen (Oral Health and Craniomandibular Dysfunction) were examined for potential connections. The CMD findings were obtained in an anamnestic process and by clinical function analysis, while the stress and mental state parameters were determined by using three questionnaires (BSKE = Befindlichkeitsskalierung anhand von Kategorien und Eigenschaftswörterlisten [Scale of mental states, based on categories and lists of adjectives], SEF = Stresserfahrungsfragebogen [stress experience questionnaire], and SVF = Stressverarbeitungsfragebogen [stress management questionnaire]). Evidence suggests that there may be tendencies for many CMD symptoms to be related to stress and mental state parameters, in particular to negative parameters. Life-stress events were found to have almost no influence on CMD. Among the symptoms, "headache" and "palpatory pain of masticatory muscles" were found to be most strongly connected with negative coping strategies (stress management strategies) and also with a habitually negative mental state. These subjective symptoms were found to be more dependent on negative stress management than objective CMD findings or painless symptoms. Some combinations suggest that there are noticeable differences between males and females with respect to their stress management and their mental state. Keywords: CMD, stress, mental state, SHIP, coping