Association Between Orofacial Pain and Anxiety: A Systematic Review

Abstract

The prevalence of orofacial pain continues to increase. Additionally, the rising number has been accompanied by reduced quality of life of its sufferers. An assumed association between orofacial pain and anxiety has surfaced due to the results of several studies that show higher occurrence of anxiety in people experiencing orofacial pain, compared to those who are orofacial-pain-free. The aim of this systematic review was to discover past research on orofacial pain and its relationship to anxiety, and to understand the relationship between acute and chronic orofacial pain and anxiety. The current systematic review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) rules. Study searches were carried out using three databases, namely PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Scopus. Article selection was carried out in several stages and was based on inclusion and exclusion criteria and continued by assessing the methodological quality and risk of bias of each article. The risk of bias was analyzed by using the critical review tool for cross-sectional studies from the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI). The selection process led to a review process of 13 cross-sectional research articles. The systematic review showed a positive relationship between orofacial pain and anxiety, with variations in the strength of the relationship (weak to moderate). Most articles revealed that anxiety is a risk factor for orofacial pain. A correlation between chronic orofacial pain and anxiety was mentioned in several studies. It can be concluded that there is an existing relationship between orofacial pain and anxiety, especially chronic orofacial pain. Prospero registration number: CRD42023385409.