Factors associated with anxiety and depression in facial arthromyalgia

Facial arthromyalgia (temporomandibular joint pain dysfunction syndrome, TM D) is a chronic pain condition of unknown origin. This paper examines the e xtent to which the condition is associated with symptoms of anxiety and dep ression. It also identifies factors which may be predictive of raised level s of these two moods and of the presence of clinical anxiety and clinical d epression. Self-report measures of pain beliefs, coping strategies, pain in tensity, disability and mood were administered to a sample of 80 facial art hromyalgia patients of differing chronicity. The results showed anxious moo d to be associated with several factors including beliefs that pain is itse lf worsened by negative mood, passive coping in terms of catastrophising ab out pain, and speech problems. Depressed mood was associated with catastrop hising and disability in the form of disturbance in taste and digestion. Th ese factors may be considered as potential targets for therapy, rather than the orthodox objective of pain relief. (C) 2000 International Association for the Study of Pain. Published by Elsevier Science B.V.