Psychological disorders in patients with evacuation disorders and constipation in a tertiary practice

We aimed to evaluate the prevalence of psychological impairment in patients with rectal evacuation disorders and the influence of psychological disorder on the early outcome of behavioral treatment.

We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients with rectal evacuation disorders referred for biofeedback retraining at a tertiary referral center. The psychological disorder was classified using the DSM IV criteria. Outcome of biofeedback treatment of evacuation at 2 wk was based on symptoms or on the ability to spontaneously expel a balloon placed in the rectum. Improvements in the groups without versus with a psychological disorder or an eating disorder were compared by Fisher's exact test.

In the 60 patients (55 women; 5 men; mean age, 38 yr), psychological disorders were identified in 39 (65%); also noted were eating disorder (n = 5), rumination syndrome (n = 3), pain disorder (n = 6), anxiety-depression (n = 10), a combination of depression and pain disorder (n = 3), and a combination of eating disorder with anxiety-depression and pain disorder (n = 12). There was an association between psychological status and outcome at 2 wk of behavioral treatment for evacuation disorder (p = 0.03). The coexistence of eating disorder and psychological disorder resulted in an unfavorable outcome (p = 0.02), compared with those without psychological disorder.

Psychological impairment was identified in 65% of the patients with evacuation disorder and constipation in a tertiary care practice, and has a significant negative impact on the outcome of behavioral treatment. These data reinforce the importance of a multidisciplinary approach in the management of these patients.