Somatic, affective, and pain characteristics of chronic TMD patients with sexual versus physical abuse histories.
OBJECTIVE
This study examined whether temporomandibular disorder (TMD) patients with sexual versus physical abuse histories differ in their pain report, psychological distress, and somatic symptoms.


METHODS
Participants were 114 female TMD patients. The sample was divided into 3 groups based on abuse history: sexual abuse, physical abuse, or no abuse. Abuse histories were assessed with a structured clinical interview. Measures used included the McGill Pain Questionnaire, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, the Beck Depression Inventory, and the Pennebaker Inventory of Limbic Languidness. Group differences were analyzed by analysis of variance and Bonferroni post hoc comparisons.


RESULTS
Temporomandibular disorder patients with a history of physical abuse reported significantly more pain, anxiety, and depressive symptoms than did patients with a history of sexual abuse or no history of abuse. Furthermore, the results suggest that TMD patients with a sexual abuse history are not significantly different from patients with no abuse history across the domains studied.


CONCLUSIONS
Based on the differences found, it can be argued that assessment of physical abuse histories by appropriately trained clinicians should be a routine part of any multimodal assessment of female chronic TMD patients.
Campbell
L C
LC
Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, College of Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610, USA.
Riley
J L
JL
Kashikar-Zuck
S
S
Gremillion
H
H
Robinson
M E
ME
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001007:Anxiety / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D001290:Attitude; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003863:Depression / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D017579:Domestic Violence / Q000523:psychology*; D005157:Facial Pain / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D012742:Sex Offenses / Q000523:psychology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D013705:Temporomandibular Joint Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology