Detailed contribution information
| Contribution title | 2994 - Anxiety in children with incontinence and their parents |
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| Contribution code | PS03-06 (P) |
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| Form of presentation | Poster |
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| Abstract |
Objectives: Parental anxiety is associated with incontinence in children. So far, no studies assessed the association between incontinence in children and anxiety in both, parents and children. Therefore, the aim was to assess anxiety as a general and long-standing (TRAIT) and as a temporary condition (STATE) in children with incontinence and their parents before (T1) and after therapy of the incontinence (T2) 6 months later. Methods: Data of 40 (67.5% boys, mean age = 10.1 years) consecutively presented children with incontinence, diagnosed to ICCS standards, and their parents (mean age = 42.1 years) and 47 (44.7% boys, mean age = 10.5 years) matched continent controls are presented. All children received a physical examination and a one-dimensional intelligence test (SPM). Child psychopathology was assessed with the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and a structured psychiatric interview. Anxiety was measured with the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) for adults and the children version (STAIC). A follow-up assessment of incontinence, state-trait-anxiety and CBCL was performed after 6 months. Results: 67.5% of children had nocturnal enuresis (NE), 32.5% had daytime urinary incontinence (DUI) and 28.9% had fecal incontinence (FI). Incontinent children and their parents showed significantly higher mean trait- and state-anxiety scores at both time points than continent controls, with a trend towards reduction of state- and trait-anxiety in children at T2. At T1, there is a correlation between trait-and state-anxiety in incontinent children and their parents. Incontinent children showed more CBCL externalizing and internalizing symptoms as well as total problems in the clinical range (> 90. percentile) at both time points compared to continent controls, with significant reduction of the internalizing symptoms and total problems from T1 to T2. The frequency of NE and FI, but not of DUI, decreased significantly from T1 to T2. There are no correlations between the frequencies of the incontinence or treatment success and mean anxiety scores. Conclusion: Anxiety is a major issue in children with incontinence and their parents. The therapy of incontinence reduces anxiety in incontinent children regardless of the therapy success, while it has no effect on parental anxiety. Parental anxiety may adversely affect parent-child interaction and lead to tensions among family members. Assessment of parental anxiety can be necessary to ensure optimal treatment outcomes. |