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Short-term treatment of children with encopresis

G Fireman1, H S Koplewicz

  • 1Department of Psychology, Texas Tech University.

The Journal of Psychotherapy Practice and Research
|June 16, 2012
PubMed

Insights

A short-term behavioral treatment effectively resolved encopresis in most children. This treatment led to a significant reduction in soiling incidents, with high success rates in achieving sustained dryness.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Gastroenterology
  • Child Behavioral Therapy
  • Clinical Psychology

Background:

  • Encopresis, or fecal incontinence, affects a significant number of children.
  • Previous research indicates varied treatment approaches with differing success rates.
  • Understanding the characteristics of encopretic children is crucial for effective intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the efficacy of a standardized, short-term behavioral treatment for childhood encopresis.
  • To determine the success rate and timeline for achieving sustained continence.
  • To gather descriptive data on the characteristics of children with encopresis.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of 52 children diagnosed with encopresis underwent a standardized behavioral treatment protocol.
  • Data collection focused on the frequency of soiling accidents and time to achieve treatment criteria.
  • Children were monitored throughout the treatment and a subsequent phaseout period.

Main Results:

  • The behavioral treatment demonstrated high effectiveness, with a statistically significant decrease in soiling within the first month (P < 0.01).
  • 84.6% of participants achieved 2 consecutive weeks without soiling accidents, averaging 28 days to reach this milestone.
  • A substantial majority (78.8%) successfully completed an extended 7-week phaseout period, indicating sustained improvement.

Conclusions:

  • The standardized short-term behavioral treatment is a highly effective intervention for childhood encopresis.
  • The treatment protocol facilitates rapid and sustained resolution of soiling issues in the majority of affected children.
  • Encopretic children did not exhibit a specific pattern of behavioral pathology, aligning with existing literature.

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