Prevalence of anxiety symptoms, depression and temporomandibular dysfunction in prisoners and workers from a brazilian prison: an observational study.

Background: Temporomandibular Disorder (TMD) is a condition in which there are several psychosomatic and/or psychosocial aspects. Imprisonment situations may be an example of a triggering factor for stress and TMD symptoms, especially if taken into account that the incarcerated population is bigger than the general population. Objective: The present study aims to investigate the prevalence of symptoms of anxiety, depression and temporomandibular disorder (TMD) in prisoners and employees of a closed male penitentiary in Brazil. Methods: A total of 140 prisoners and 50 employees were part of the study. This is a cross-sectional study with a quantitative approach, where the symptom questionnaire for Temporomandibular Disorders (DC/TMD) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAD) were applied. Results: The anxiety and depression levels found in prisoners were 64.86% and 48.64%, respectively. There was a higher statistical significance in the reported symptoms of headache in employees with anxiety when compared to those without anxiety (p= 0.03). Regarding depression, it was observed that it influenced the symptoms of jaw opening and locking, both in employees (p=0.09) and inmates (p=0.01). Conclusion: A high prevalence of TMD symptoms, anxiety, and depression were identified in both prisoners and employees, especially the prisoners.