Psychiatric disturbance in patients with oral lichen planus

The degree of mental disturbance in 56 patients with clinically and histologically verified oral lichen planus (OLP) and in 44 non-OLP patients was investigated by means of the Cornell Medical Index psychological questionnaire. A statistically significant difference in mental disturbance between OLP patients and non-OLP patients was found, the OLP patients being more disturbed (p less than 0.01). The mental health of the non-OLP patients was equal to that of the general Finnish population. Of the OLP patients, 48.2% were mentally healthy, 21.4% had a mild mental disturbance, 5.4% had a moderate mental disturbance, and 25.0% had a severe mental disorder. The corresponding figures for the non-OLP patients were 72.7%, 9.1%, 11.4%, and 6.8%. Of the 56 OLP patients, 21 were randomly selected and referred for a psychiatric consultation. Five patients refused the psychiatric interview. Of the sixteen patients who were examined, five had a moderate psychiatric disorder, seven had a mild psychiatric disorder, one had signs of neurosis, and three were mentally healthy. Most of the patients had the subjective feeling that the clinical appearance of OLP, including discomfort, became worse during times of mental stress. None of the patients, however, had a subjective feeling of mental disturbance; nor did any of them feel any need for psychiatric treatment, except in one case.