Trauma, Emotional Control, Stress Coping Mechanisms, and Illness Acceptance in Individuals With Orofacial Pain, Headache, and Sleep Bruxism

BACKGROUND: This cross-sectional observational study aimed to assess the relationships between headache (HA), orofacial pain (OFP), sleep bruxism (SB), trauma, emotional control, stress management, and illness acceptance, as measured by scales. METHODS: Eligible patients underwent overnight videopolysomnography and completed validated questionnaires on pain, trauma, coping strategies, and illness acceptance; all data were analysed using TIBCO Statistica 13. RESULTS: The results showed a positive correlation between experienced trauma and pain (p = 0.001 for HIT 6, p = 0.002 for MIDAS, p = 0.002 for SF-MPQ), as well as between pain and negative coping strategies such as denial (p = 0.020 for MIDAS, p = 0.038 for SF-MPQ), venting (p = 0.020 for HIT-6, p = 0.009 for MIDAS, p = 0.037 for SF-MPQ), taking psychoactive substances (p = 0.009 for SF-MPQ), behavioural disengagment (p = 0.007for HIT-6, p = 0.039 for SF-MPQ), and self-blame (p = 0.000 for HIT-6, p = 0.001 for MIDAS, p = 0.000 for SF-MPQ). The results also showed a correlation between lower illness acceptance and greater pain complaints (p = 0.000 for GCPS, p = 0.000 for HIT-6, p = 0.000 for MIDAS, p = 0.000 for SF-MPQ). We observed a significant negative relationship between self-blame and the bruxism episode index (BEI) (p = 0.006) and between venting and BEI (p = 0.039). CONCLUSIONS: Factors such as trauma, the use of negative coping strategies, and low levels of illness acceptance among patients with chronic orofacial pain can be associated with increased pain, which in turn compromises the effectiveness of treatment therapy. Self-blame and emotional venting-showed significant negative correlations with BEI, indicating fewer SB episodes. TRIAL REGISTRATION: www. CLINICALTRIALS: gov, "Relationship Between Selected Parameters and Bruxism", identifier NCT04214561.