Cognition, Emotion, and the Bladder: Psychosocial Factors in bladder pain syndrome and interstitial cystitis (BPS/IC)

To review findings from empirical studies assessing the role of psychosocial factors in bladder pain syndrome and interstitial cystitis (BPS/IC).

There is a high rate of psychosocial comorbidity in BPS/IC, including elevated levels of anxiety and depression. Recent studies assessing the role of illness perceptions in BPS/ICrelate poorer illness perceptions to more unhelpful illness coping patterns. Conversely, positive illness perceptions including self-efficacy in illness management are associated with more adaptive coping behaviors such as exercising and acceptance. New research is investigating the role of trauma in BPS/ICand the impact of suicidality. There is a paucity of psychosocial interventions for BPS/ICover the last 5 years. The three small-scale studies reviewed included a mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) intervention tailored for BPS/IC, a brief self-management intervention designed to increase patient knowledge and symptom management techniques and a 90-minute interview aimed at increasing awareness about physiological-affective relationship in IC.