Management in general practice significantly reduced psychosocial consequences of female urinary incontinence

Urinary incontinence is a common health problem among women, and a spectrum of psychosocial problems is associated with this disorder. We have investigated how psychosocial impact changed during a management programme for urinary incontinence in general practice. One hundred and five women seeking help for urinary incontinence were treated with conservative treatment options. Psychosocial consequences, grouped as mental distress (nine items), practical inconveniences (five items), and social restrictions (11 items) were noted before treatment, and after 3, 6 and 12 months follow-up. Urge symptoms, high degree of severity, and long duration were associated with higher psychosocial impact. During treatment, psychosocial impact was significantly reduced and the degree of impact in the three consequence groups was reduced to about one third compared with before treatment. In conclusion, changes in psychosocial impact during a management programme occur as a response to successful treatment. These findings support the view that female urinary incontinence can be successfully treated in general practice.