Personality testing in 226 patients with urinary incontinence.

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Psychology
• Medical Research

Background:

• Urinary incontinence is a common condition affecting many women.
• The psychological factors, such as personality traits, influencing urinary incontinence require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the relationship between personality traits, specifically neuroticism, and urinary incontinence in female patients.
• To correlate personality findings with clinical symptomatology and urodynamic results.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 226 female patients investigated for urinary incontinence participated.
• The Eysenck Personality Inventory (EPI) questionnaire was administered to assess personality traits.
• Results were correlated with patient symptomatology and urodynamic findings.

Main Results:

• A significant relationship was identified between incontinence and neuroticism.
• No specific association was found between neuroticism and detrusor overactivity in this patient group.
• These findings contrast with some previous smaller studies.

Conclusions:

• Neuroticism may be a relevant psychological factor in female urinary incontinence.
• Further research is needed to understand the complex interplay between psychological factors and urodynamic findings in incontinence.