title: Quality-of-life before and after cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in patients with intra-oral injection phobia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate quality-of-life (QoL), before and after cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in patients diagnosed with intra-oral injection phobia according to DSM-IV and to compare with the general population. This study also aimed to evaluate if QoL was associated with self-reported injection anxiety, dental anxiety, time since last dental treatment and oral health.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects were 55 patients (mean age 35.5 ± 12.2, 78.2% women) who participated in a treatment study in which 89% managed an intra-oral injection at 1 year follow-up. The patients completed a set of questionnaires including Quality of Life Inventory (QOLI), Injection Phobia Scale-Anxiety, Dental Anxiety Scale and a single-item question assessing self-perceived oral health. Objective measures of oral health and treatment needs were based on clinical examination. QOLI-scores from a non-clinical sample were used for comparison.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Before treatment the general and health specific QoL were lower among intra-oral injection phobics than in the non-clinical sample. At 1 year follow-up the QoL in general had improved significantly and was similar to that of the non-clinical sample. Poor self-reported oral health and long-term avoidance of dental treatment were associated with lower general and health-specific QoL. Self-reported injection anxiety and dental anxiety were not associated with QoL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with intra-oral injection phobia report lower QoL compared with a general population. Phobia treatment seems to increase QoL to normative levels. Self-perceived poor oral health is associated with reduced QoL in these patients.
authors: Department of Clinical Dentistry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Bergen, Norway. maren.agdal@iko.uib.no
authors: Maren Lillehaug
authors: ML
authors: Agdal
authors: Magne
authors: M
authors: Raadal
authors: Lars-Göran
authors: LG
authors: Öst
authors: Erik
authors: E
authors: Skaret
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007267:Injections / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009909:Oral Health; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life