Assessment of depression, stress, anxiety and oral health-related quality of life in individuals with sjögren’s syndrome: case control pilot study
Authors:   Department of Surgery, Stomatology, Pathology, and Radiology, Bauru School of Dentistry, University of São Paulo, Bauru, Brazil., Machado Gabia Raquel , Brito Reia Verônica Carolina ,   Department of Surgery, Stomatology, Pathology, and Radiology, Bauru School of Dentistry, University of São Paulo, Bauru, Brazil., Gomes Carvalho Caroline ,   Department of Surgery, Stomatology, Pathology, and Radiology, Bauru School of Dentistry, University of São Paulo, Bauru, Brazil., da Silva Santos Paulo Sérgio ,   Department of Surgery, Stomatology, Pathology, and Radiology, Bauru School of Dentistry, University of São Paulo, Bauru, Brazil.
Published: February 2024

Objective: Sjögren’s syndrome (SS) is a chronic auto-immune inflammatory systemic disease, in which the infiltration of mo-nonuclear cells in the exocrine glands leads to physiological and morphological changes. This pilot case-control study aims to describe the profile, evaluate the oral condition, quality of life (QoL) and psychological condition, through complete clinical examination, OHIP-14 and DASS-21 questionnaires. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted with seven individuals with a final diagnosis of SS (case group [CG]), and seven individuals with symptoms of dry mouth (control group [GCO]), consulting at the institution from January to November 2021. participants were selected by free demand and those previously seen at the institution with a diagnosis of SS between 19 and 70 years of age. The questionnaire OHIP-14 was applied to assess the patient’s quality of life, where seven dimensions are assessed, subdivided into 14 questions through the Lickert scale (0 to 4) assigned by the individual and which quantifies the impact of oral health on QoL. The questionnaire DASS-21 assessed the psychological condition of the patient, which presents seven questions for each emotional state (depression, anxiety, and stress), totaling 21 questions. The general clinical condition, evolution of SS, oral clinical condition, and the profile of this population were related to QoL factors and psychological conditions, using these assessment instruments. Results: There was no statistically significant difference between the groups regarding stimulated salivary flow. The only symptom with a statistically significant difference in the CG was difficulty in phonation (p< 0.001). The dimensions related to functional limitation and physical pain showed the most expressive results (p=0.004) (p=0.025), showing a strong negative impact on the QoL of the CG individuals, and the dimension related to disability was the least affected (p=0.684). The analysis of depression, anxiety, and stress did not show statistically significant results between the groups; however, in the CG, 5 (71.42%) individuals showed a severe degree of depression, anxiety, and stress. Conclusions: Individuals in the case group showed some changes, with a strong negative impact on QoL compared to the control group. Keywords: Sjogren’s syndrome; Quality of life; Depression; Anxiety; Stress, psychological; Case-control studies.