Department of Medical Biotechnologies, Unit of Oral Pathology, University of Siena, Siena, Italy.
Division of Psychiatry, Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Siena, School of Medicine, Siena, Italy.
Clin Oral Investig. 2023 Dec 26;28(1):31. doi: 10.1007/s00784-023-05470-9.
To assess the impact of COVID-19 in patients affected by OLP, in terms of level of pain, stress, depression and anxiety and their impact on the clinical manifestation of the disease.
A longitudinal design was employed. Psychometric evaluations of anxiety, stress, and depression were conducted using the DASS21 scale, while pain levels were measured using the VAS scale. Clinical diagnosis and phenotype evaluation were performed.
The study included 24 patients with an average age of 62.9 years, with 70.8% presenting erosive OLP. Results revealed a significant worsening of anxiety, stress, and depression scores during the pandemic. Pain level (1.5 ± 1.2 pre-pandemic VS 3.8 ± 1.1 during the pandemic, p < 0.0001) was also negatively affected.
These findings highlight the potential interplay between psychological stress and oral health conditions, emphasizing the need for a comprehensive understanding of OLP's complex etiology and its response to external stressors.
Multidisciplinary care strategies to address both physical and psychological aspects of OLP patients is recommended following the present findings. Further research is warranted to confirm these observations in larger multicenter studies and to guide tailored guidance approaches for OLP patients during challenging times.
评估 COVID-19 对 OLP 患者的影响，包括疼痛程度、压力、抑郁和焦虑水平，以及它们对疾病临床表现的影响。
采用纵向设计。使用 DASS21 量表对焦虑、压力和抑郁进行心理测量评估，使用 VAS 量表测量疼痛水平。进行临床诊断和表型评估。
该研究纳入了 24 名平均年龄为 62.9 岁的患者，其中 70.8% 为糜烂性 OLP。结果显示，在大流行期间，焦虑、压力和抑郁评分显著恶化。疼痛水平（大流行前为 1.5±1.2，大流行期间为 3.8±1.1，p<0.0001）也受到负面影响。
这些发现强调了心理压力和口腔健康状况之间的潜在相互作用，强调需要全面了解 OLP 的复杂病因及其对外部应激源的反应。
根据本研究结果，建议对 OLP 患者采取多学科护理策略，同时解决身体和心理方面的问题。需要进一步的研究来证实这些观察结果，并为 OLP 患者在困难时期提供有针对性的指导方法。
