[Health habits, attitudes and behaviour towards oral health of psychiatric patients].

Introduction: People with psychiatric disorders are at high risk of oral diseases due to the impact of their primary psychiatric condition and the side-effects of antipsychotic medications.

Objective: The aim of this study was to identify habits, attitudes and behaviour towards oral health of hospitalized psychiatric patients with psychotic disorders, including mood disorders with psychotic characteristics, as well as to identify factors that could influence those habits, attitudes and behaviour.

Methods: The experimental group consisted of 186 hospitalized patients with psychiatric disorders (87 males and 99 females), aged from 18 to 59 years (mean age 46.0-8.0 years). The control group consisted of 186 healthy persons matched for age and gender. Data were obtained by using specially designed questionnaires with questions about the subjects' social, economic and demographic characteristics, as well as their habits, attitudes and behaviour concerning their oral health, in a form of a standardized interview. Other medical data were collected from medical documentation of disease history. Statistical analysis was performed by Student's t-test, Chi-square test, ANOVA, Logistic Regression and simultaneous multiple regression.

Results: Psychiatric patients have worse habits, attitudes and behaviour concerning their oral health in comparison with healthy persons (p < 0.001): they wash their teeth more rarely and in a shorter time, have less knowledge of oral diseases and their effect on general health, and visit their dentist more rarely. The obtained results depend on social, economic and demographic characteristics and on the underlying illness of patients.

Conclusion: Health educational work concerning oral health of patients should be included in psychiatric treatment, as a part of an existing therapy with the aim of improving the general quality of their life.