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A biobehavioral approach toward managing encopresis
1Children's Hospital of Omaha, NE, USA.
Insights
This study shows a biobehavioral treatment approach significantly improved encopretic children. Response cost interventions may be crucial for some cases, integrating medical and behavioral strategies.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Behavioral Therapy
- Child Psychology
Background:
- Encopresis, or fecal incontinence, affects children and can stem from both medical and psychological factors.
- A comprehensive treatment approach is often necessary to address the complexities of encopresis.
- Evaluating integrated biobehavioral interventions provides insight into effective management strategies.
Observation:
- Two children diagnosed with encopresis were assessed and treated.
- The treatment involved a combination of medical intervention by a pediatric gastroenterologist and subsequent behavioral interventions.
- The study specifically examined a biobehavioral treatment model.
Findings:
- The biobehavioral treatment approach led to significant improvements in both encopretic subjects.
- Response cost, a behavioral intervention, was identified as a potentially necessary component for successful treatment in some children.
- A model was developed to illustrate the interplay of organic and nonorganic factors in encopresis.
Implications:
- Biobehavioral interventions are effective for treating encopretic children.
- Clinicians should consider incorporating response cost as part of the behavioral intervention for encopresis.
- The proposed model can aid in understanding and managing encopresis by differentiating organic and nonorganic influences.
Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a biobehavioral treatment approach for two encopretic children. Both subjects were evaluated and treated by a pediatric gastroenterologist, with behavioral interventions occurring subsequent to, and in conjunction with, the medical intervention. Results showed that the biobehavioral approach resulted in significant improvements for both subjects, and that the use of response cost may be a necessary intervention component for some children. A model is also presented to clarify the relationship between organic and nonorganic factors and their relationship to encopresis.