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AIMS Public Health

2026, Volume 13, Issue 1: 22-31. doi: 10.3934/publichealth.2026002
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Research article Special Issues

The role of affective temperaments on depressive rumination in individuals with bruxism

  • 1.
    Department “Scienze della Salute”, University of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy
  • 2.
    Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, Kore University of Enna, Enna, Italy
  • 3.
    Department of Dental Research Cell, Dr. D. Y. Patil Dental College & Hospital, Dr. D. Y. Patil Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be University), Pimpri, Pune, India
  • 4.
    Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
  • 5.
    Departamento de Medicina Córdoba, Universidad Católica de Córdoba, Argentina
  • 6.
    Department of Surgery, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
  • 7.
    Unit of Otorhinolaryngology, Department of Adult and Development Age Human Pathology “Gaetano Barresi”, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
  • Published: 05 January 2026

  • Bruxism, defined as the grinding or clenching of teeth, is a multifactorial condition whose etiology involves both psychological and psychopathological aspects. In particular, it has been associated with variables such as anxiety, depression, and ruminative thinking. The aim of the present study is to examine the psychological characteristics associated with bruxism, with a particular focus on affective temperaments and depressive rumination. The subjects recruited from the general population were assessed through an online survey including the Ruminative Response Scale (RRS) and the Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris, and San Diego Autoquestionnaire (TEMPS-A). Group differences were analyzed using the student's t-test for independent samples. Furthermore, a linear regression analysis was performed, thereby considering the RRS as the dependent variable and the TEMPS-A temperament dimensions as independent variables, in order to identify which temperamental profiles could explain depressive rumination in individuals with bruxism. The analyses revealed significant gender differences in the cyclothymic and anxious temperaments, as well as in the “Brooding” and “Depression” dimensions of the RRS. A regression analysis further indicated that cyclothymic and depressive temperaments predicted “Brooding” and “Depression”, whereas only the cyclothymic temperament emerged as a predictor of “Reflection”. These findings highlight the relevance of affective temperaments and depressive rumination in the psychological profile of patients with bruxism, thus underlining their importance for clinical practice.

    Citation: Clara Lombardo, Cosimo Galletti, Gabriele Cervino, Chiara La Barbiera, Clemente Cedro, Gianluca Pandolfo, Maria Rosaria Anna Muscatello, Enrico Nastro Siniscalchi, Mario Nicolas De La Fuente, Sofia Munge, Sergio Parra García, Giuseppe Alberti, Daniele Portelli, Carmela Mento. The role of affective temperaments on depressive rumination in individuals with bruxism[J]. AIMS Public Health, 2026, 13(1): 22-31. doi: 10.3934/publichealth.2026002

    Related Papers:

  • Bruxism, defined as the grinding or clenching of teeth, is a multifactorial condition whose etiology involves both psychological and psychopathological aspects. In particular, it has been associated with variables such as anxiety, depression, and ruminative thinking. The aim of the present study is to examine the psychological characteristics associated with bruxism, with a particular focus on affective temperaments and depressive rumination. The subjects recruited from the general population were assessed through an online survey including the Ruminative Response Scale (RRS) and the Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris, and San Diego Autoquestionnaire (TEMPS-A). Group differences were analyzed using the student's t-test for independent samples. Furthermore, a linear regression analysis was performed, thereby considering the RRS as the dependent variable and the TEMPS-A temperament dimensions as independent variables, in order to identify which temperamental profiles could explain depressive rumination in individuals with bruxism. The analyses revealed significant gender differences in the cyclothymic and anxious temperaments, as well as in the “Brooding” and “Depression” dimensions of the RRS. A regression analysis further indicated that cyclothymic and depressive temperaments predicted “Brooding” and “Depression”, whereas only the cyclothymic temperament emerged as a predictor of “Reflection”. These findings highlight the relevance of affective temperaments and depressive rumination in the psychological profile of patients with bruxism, thus underlining their importance for clinical practice.



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    Acknowledgments


    The study received no external funding.

    Authors' contributions


    Conceptualization, C.M. and C.L.; methodology, C.L. and C.M.; software, C.L.; validation, C.G. and C.M.; formal analysis, investigation, G.C. and C.G.; resources, E.N.S, C.C., G.P. and G.A.; data curation, M.N.D.L.F. and S.M.; writing—original draft preparation, C.L.B. and M.R.A.M; writing—review and editing, C.L.B. and C.L.; visualization, G.C., D.P. and E.N.S.; supervision, M.R.A.M, C.C., G.P. and S.P.G.; project administration, C.L., C.M and C.G.; funding acquisition, M.N.D.L.F. and S.M. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

    Conflict of interest


    The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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  • © 2026 the Author(s), licensee AIMS Press. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0)
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