Introduction: Studies suggest that temporomandibular disorders (TMD) are a complex disorder with many causes consistent with the biopsychosocial disease model. One of the important areas of TMD etiology are psychological factors, including stress, but its role in the mechanism of TMD formation is ambiguous. Aim: The aim of this literature review was to summarize the latest study about the impact of stress in relation to temporomandibular joint disorders. Material and methods: Articles from PubMed and PEDro online databases were identified using the keywords ‘stress,’ ‘distress,’ ‘TMD.’ The review included works published in the period from October 1, 2015 to March 6, 2020. Finally, 10 articles were qualified for the review. Results and discussion: The most frequently used research tool was the questionnaire. Other methods used to evaluate a level of stress in TMD patients were measurement of cortisol level and surface electromyography of masticatory muscles. Conclusions: Stress is one of the psychological factors involved in TMD pathophysiology. Increased levels of stress in patients with TMD are associated with elevated levels of cortisol, hyperactivity of the HPA axis and increased bioelectric activity of the masticatory muscles. There is a need to extend research on the effects of stress on TMD by more objective methods.

Introduction and objective. Anxiety and depression disorders are increasingly affecting society. Anxiety disorders are the most prevalent psychiatric disorders, and depressive disorders are increasing in society worldwide. Lower back pain is one of the common health problems experienced by 50-80% of adults at some point in their lives. The aim of the study was to assess the climbing environment in terms of depression, generalized anxiety and pain in the lumbar spine. Materials and method. 139 people training on climbing walls Lublin in December 2019 were invited to participate in the study. After applying exclusion criteria, 113 people with an average age of 30±8 years, 88 men (average age: 30 years) and 35 women (average age: 30 years) were qualified for the study. They were examined by the author's own questionnaire and the PHQ-9, GAD-7 and ODI questionnaires. Statistical analyses were applied and the significance threshold was set at 0.05. Results. Overall percentage results suggest mild depression at 27%, moderate anxiety at 27%, and mild back pain at 26% in the group of climbers tested. Climbing level and climbing sub-discipline did not affect the average results of PHQ-9, GAD-7 (p>0.05). Back pain was more common in boulder climbers (p<0.05). Conclusions. The level of sport climbing did not affect the level of depression, generalized anxiety, and back pain. The sport climbing level did not affect the incidence of injuries. The association in climbing clubs is connected with overcoming more difficult climbing routes and a higher level of generalized anxiety. Bouldering was associated with a greater level of pain in the lumbar spine and more injuries.