Psychiatric disorders in oral lichen planus: a preliminary case control study

Area of Science:

• Oral Medicine
• Psychiatry
• Dermatology

Background:

• Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a chronic inflammatory condition affecting oral mucosa.
• Psychiatric comorbidities may influence OLP patient quality of life.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the prevalence of psychiatric symptoms in OLP patients compared to a control group.
• To assess depression, anxiety, distress, and fatigue in OLP patients.

Main Methods:

• A case-control study involving 11 OLP patients and 13 controls.
• Psychiatric evaluation using Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI 1-2), Distress Thermometer (DT), and Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI).

Main Results:

• 73% of OLP patients reported mild pain (VAS).
• 9% of OLP patients exhibited depressive symptoms (HAM-D).
• 100% of OLP patients scored above the cut-off for state and trait anxiety (STAI).
• 45% of OLP patients experienced distress (DT), with 36% moderate.
• No statistically significant differences were observed between OLP patients and controls for any assessed psychiatric parameter.

Conclusions:

• This study did not find a significant difference in psychiatric symptoms between OLP patients and controls.
• Larger cohort studies may be needed to detect potential differences in psychiatric symptom prevalence in OLP.