ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION AS POTENTIAL PSYCHOPATHOLOGICAL FACTORS FOR ORAL LICHEN PLANUS

Abstract

Objective The present study aimed to evaluate the possible relationship between oral lichen planus (OLP) and symptoms of depression and anxiety, as well as combined therapeutic approaches in the treatment of OLP. Study Design Searches were performed in PubMed (Medline), BVS (Lilacs), and Cochrane library databases to identify relevant scientific articles using the following search terms: "oral lichen planus", "depression", "anxiety" and "treatment", in such a way that 33 publications were initially found. After application of inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of 16 articles were selected for the main body reading. Results According to the analyzed literature, potential relationship between OLP and depression and anxiety was suggested, although there were divergences between the different studies. Currently, there is still no consensus on a gold-standard treatment for these lesions, even emphasizing the use of alternative therapies that have demonstrated some efficacy. In addition, recidivism is notable among patients with OLP, since psychological factors hypothetically affect healing during treatment. Conclusion The emergence of OLP lesions can be related to psychopathological risk factors such as depression and anxiety and, even if they are not standardized, alternative therapies are effective, while each case of OLP has its peculiarity. The present study aimed to evaluate the possible relationship between oral lichen planus (OLP) and symptoms of depression and anxiety, as well as combined therapeutic approaches in the treatment of OLP. Searches were performed in PubMed (Medline), BVS (Lilacs), and Cochrane library databases to identify relevant scientific articles using the following search terms: "oral lichen planus", "depression", "anxiety" and "treatment", in such a way that 33 publications were initially found. After application of inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of 16 articles were selected for the main body reading. According to the analyzed literature, potential relationship between OLP and depression and anxiety was suggested, although there were divergences between the different studies. Currently, there is still no consensus on a gold-standard treatment for these lesions, even emphasizing the use of alternative therapies that have demonstrated some efficacy. In addition, recidivism is notable among patients with OLP, since psychological factors hypothetically affect healing during treatment. The emergence of OLP lesions can be related to psychopathological risk factors such as depression and anxiety and, even if they are not standardized, alternative therapies are effective, while each case of OLP has its peculiarity.