Psychiatric aspects of recurrent cystitis in women

Abstract

Using both psychometric questionnaires and psychiatric interview it has been shown that women with recurrent cystitis have significantly more psychiatric symptoms (particularly those of anxiety) than the population as a whole. By comparison with the expected prevalence, the study group shows a 3-fold increase in psychiatric symptoms antedating micturition symptoms, and a 10-fold increase in psychiatric symptoms overall. Significant differences in psychometric profiles have been demonstrated between different clinical subgroups of patients (e.g. bladder instability, outlet obstruction and dyspareunia). A multifactorial approach (including an awareness of psychiatric factors) to patients complaining of recurrent cystitis can produce a treatment failure rate as low as 4.4%.