title: Psychological profile (anxiety and depression) in patients with oral lichen planus: a controlled study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The influence of psychological disturbances in oral lichen planus (OLP) still bears some controversy. This study aimed at assessing levels of anxiety and depression in OLP patients and control subjects, using a self-report scale questionnaire.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross-sectional study comprised 91 consecutive OLP patients (71 female and 20 male; mean age 52.9 years) and 87 subjects as a control group (69 female and 18 male; mean age 52.7 years). Data collected of both groups included age, sex, race, medical records and systemic disease. Anxiety and depression levels were assessed using, respectively, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-T) and Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). Data were analyzed by Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests as appropriate, and by Logistic regression analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No statistically significant difference was found when the level of anxiety and depression was compared between the OLP and control using Chi-square and Fisher's tests (P>0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that the score in 2 out of 20 items of the STAI-T scale (but none of the CES-D) was significantly higher in OLP patients (P<0.05). The analysis by gender showed that the female and male OLP patients presented a significantly higher score for one item in the STAI-T scale (respectively question 4 and 20) but none in the CES-D scale, as compared with that of the control group (P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings do not support that either anxiety or depression has any role in the development of OLP lesions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Stomatology, School of Dentistry University of São Paulo, São Paulo Brazil.
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Hirota
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Moreno
authors.forename: C H R
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Dos Santos
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Migliari
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001007:Anxiety / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D015984:Causality; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017676:Lichen Planus, Oral / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011581:Psychological Tests; D057566:Self Report; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires