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Anxiety and depression as risk factors for oral lichen planus
M J Vallejo1, G Huerta, R Cerero
1Department of Oral Pathology, Dental School, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oviedo, Spain. mgpola@fade.es
Background:
Stress and anxiety have frequently been mentioned as possible factors related to the development of oral lichen planus (OLP), although this association remains controversial.
Objective:
To determine whether anxiety and depression constitute risk factors in the development of OLP.
Material And Methods:
Eighty patients diagnosed as having OLP were studied: anxiety was evaluated by the Hamilton Anxiety Scale and depression with the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale. The results were contrasted with those obtained in a control series of the same number of subjects (n = 80) matched for age and sex.
Results:
Significantly greater anxiety and depression were observed among patients with OLP than in the control group. Odds ratios of 2.8 and 4.4 were obtained for anxiety and depression, respectively.
Conclusion:
Our findings suggest that anxiety and depression constitute risk factors that could influence the development of OLP.