Psychologic factors and oral lichen planus - A psychometric evaluation of 100 cases

Objective, The purpose of this study was to analyze the importance of psych ologic factors in patients with oral lichen planus, and attempts were made to identify possible personality features characteristic of patients with o ral lichen planus. Study design. The study involved 100 patients with oral lichen planus (grou p 1) and 50 control subjects (group 2). We applied the following psychometr ic tests to both groups: Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Cattell Personality Questionnaire 16PF, Hassanyeh Rating of Anxiely-Depression-Vul nerability, Beck Depression Inventory, Raskin Depression Screen, and Covi A nxiety Screen. Results, The patients with oral lichen planus were found to exhibit greater anxiety, as reflected by statistically significant scores with the anxiety tests that were used (Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Cattell P ersonality Questionnaire 16PF, Hassanyeh Rating of Anxiety-Depression-Vulne rability, and Covi Anxiety Screen). The patients with oral lichen planus li kewise exhibited greater depression than the controls in all 3 depression t ests applied (Beck Depression Inventory, Hassanyeh Rating of Anxiety-Depres sion-Vulnerability, and Raskin Depression Screen) and were more vulnerable to psychic disorders On the basis of the PD subscales (vulnerability) of th e Hassanyeh questionnaire. Three features (conformity to the group, astuten ess, and rebelliousness) defined the personalities of our patients with ora l lichen planus, according to the Cattell 16PF questionnaire. Finally, thos e patients with erosive lichen planus exhibited higher depression scores th an patients with nonerosive lichen planus. Conclusions. Despite the higher anxiety scores observed in patients with or al lichen planus, it was not established that the observed psychologic alte rations constitute a direct etiotogic factor of oral lichen planus; nor was it established that such alterations are a consequence of oral lichen plan us and its lesions.