Temporomandibular dysfunction and depression in adolescents of Mayan ancestry

Temporomandibular dysfunction (TMD) is caused by multiple factors such as depression, which is characterized by a state of deep sadness, dejection and unhappiness that can be transitory or permanent. Both of these disorders can occur in adolescence, when guidelines are created for what the person will be like in adulthood for the psychological, emotional and anatomophysiological aspects. The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between the degrees of DTM and depression in adolescents of Mayan ancestry from the community of Yobain, Yucatan, Mexico.

A correlational and transversal study was conducted, using the Helkimo index and the Beck depression scale, in which 210 adolescents aged 10 to 19 years of Mayan descent were included. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used.

Some degree of DTM was observed in 74.3% of the participants, and some degree of depression in 51.9%. A higher degree of DTM was associated with a greater degree of depression. The frequency of DTM was similar for both categories of adolescence: early and late. However, a higher frequency of severe depression was observed in early adolescence.

In the absence of other similar studies, a precedent was set with this study on the state of psychological and dental health in this population of Yucatan origin. Also, a guideline was established for referral to other areas of health care, such as psychiatry, neurology and neuropsychiatry.