Exploring the link between depression, anxiety, and oral health-related quality of life: A cross-sectional study in 2 Arab countries

Mental disorders such as depression affects the daily activity and performance. including self-care behaviors and personal hygiene. Oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) is a complex concept that includes social, psychological, and physical aspects. This study seeks to investigate the correlation between OHRQoL and depression and anxiety. This is an online cross-sectional survey study that was performed in Jordan and Saudi Arabia between September and November 2024. This research utilized 3 previously validated tools to achieve the study aim of examining the link between OHRQoL and depression and anxiety. The Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP)-14, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and General Anxiety Disorder-7. This study involved 2704 participants. Among our participants, the prevalence of moderate to severe depression was 56.0%, the prevalence of severe anxiety was 21.4%, and the mean OHIP score was 14.9 (standard deviation SD]: 12.6) out of 56, which implies a low to moderate impact on participants' OHRQoL. Physical pain dimension showed the higher mean score with 2.8 (SD: 2.3); which reflects discomfort and pain caused by dental conditions. Functional limitation dimension showed the lowest mean score with 1.5 (SD: 1.9); which reflects practical difficulties caused by oral health issues (such as speech or taste impairment). Pearson correlation coefficient indicated a moderately positive correlation between OHIP score and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 score R = =0.395; 95% confidence interval: 0.363-0.426; P-value