Evaluation of Stressful Life Events and Psychiatric Disorders in Patients Presenting with Psychogenic or Organic Origin Complaints Referred to Mashhad Faculty of Dentistry

Abstract

Introduction: Diagnosis of stressful life events and psychiatric disorders plays an important role in the management of patients having somatic complaints of psychogenic origin. The aim of this study is to compare stressful events among patients presenting with complaints of psychogenic or organic origin referred to the Oral and Maxillofacial Pain Clinic of Mashhad Faculty of Dentistry. Materials and Methods: 132 patients with complaints of psychogenic or organic origin were enrolled in our study. Both control and case groups completed the Scl-90 questionnaire, and the case-group patients were further evaluated by interview with a psychiatrist using DSM-IV-TR criteria. Results: In the case group, changes in work responsibilities and in family member’s health were the most common events in females and males, respectively. In the control group, the most common event among females was change in financial status, while for males this was change in work responsibilities. The mean severity of stressful events in the case group was significantly higher than that in the control group. According to the Scl-90 questionnaire, most of the control group patients (69.9%) were lacking any psychiatric disorders while most of the case patients (53.8%) were classified as having a tendency towards psychogenic disorders. Conclusion: Dentists come across Patients with psychogenic origin disorders on a daily basis. Thus, diagnosis and efficient management of such disorders becomes critical in populations of both modern and developing countries having persistent worries and stressful lifestyles.

Keywords

• sensory disorders
• stressful life events
• psychiatric disorders