Abstract
<jats:p>A cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate the Oral Health-Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL) of 133 children and adolescents aged 4 to 18 years with mental disorders, assisted at the South Child and Adolescent Psychosocial Care Center Psychologist Nivya Kellen de Castro Valente, from the perspective of parents/guardians. The study used the P-CPQ (Parental-Caregiver Perceptions Questionnaire) and FIS (Family Impact Scale) instruments. Experience with dental caries and the presence of alterations and/or lesions in soft tissues were also assessed. A semi-structured questionnaire was applied, addressing independent variables such as sex, age, monthly family income, maternal education, medication use, and medical diagnosis. Descriptive analysis, Shapiro-Wilk, Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis, and Pearson's chi-square tests were employed, using p<0.05. The study group consisted of 70 (52.6%) men, aged over 12 years (58.7%) and with a monthly family income of one to three minimum wages (70.7%), whose mothers (77.4%) with completed secondary education (55.6%) were the main caregivers. A medical diagnosis of ASD (42.9%), treatment time of less than one year (59.4%), and medication use (85%) prevailed. The overall P-CPQ score ranged from 2 to 57, with a median of 18, while the FIS score had a median of 29. Dental caries experience in the investigated sample was 42.1%. In conclusion, despite the weak association with oral health in our sample, this factor was sufficient to negatively affect oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) among older individuals with a history of caries, longer treatment times, and lower maternal education levels. Keywords: child, adolescent, mental disorders, oral health, quality of life.</jats:p>