Journal of AdvancedMedical and Dental Sciences Research

Background: Recurrent aphthous stomatitis has the highest frequency among oral lesions and involves 5-25% of the general population. The present study was conducted to assess psychiatric illness and coping strategies among patients with aphthous ulcers. Materials & Methods: The present study was conducted on 54 patients with recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) of both genders. All were provided with the SCL-90 questionnaire consisting of 90 multiple choice questions was completed by all subjects. Each question of this questionnaire evaluated one of the subscales of psychiatric disorders including somatization, obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression, anxiety and hostility. Results: There were 26 males and 28 females in group I and 27 males and 27 females in group II. Psychiatric disorders including somatization, obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression, anxiety and hostility were common in both groups. There was significant difference of all among both groups (P< 0.05). Conclusion: RAS had higher percentage of psychiatric illnesses as compared to healthy subjects. The role of stress cannot be ruled out. Key words: psychiatric illnesses, RAS, Stress