Prevalence of comorbid psychiatric illness and its impact on symptom perception, quality of life, and functional status in women with urinary incontinence

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence and impact of major depression and panic disorder in women with urinary incontinence. STUDY DESIGN: Participants were 218 consecutive women with urinary incontinence over a 14-month period, Major depression and panic disorder diagnoses, symptom perception, incontinence-specific quality of life, functional status, and urinary incontinence type were assessed. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of major depression and panic disorder was 16% and 7%, respectively. In a comparison to patients with stress urinary incontinence, the odds of having major depression were 9.2 for patients with urge and 13.5 for patients with mixed urinary incontinence. Although clinically similar to patients who did not have depression, patients with depression rated their urinary incontinence as significantly more severe and had greater quality of life and functional status impairment. CONCLUSION: Current major depression and panic disorder are highly prevalent in women with urinary incontinence. Patients with urge and mixed urinary incontinence are significantly more likely to have coexistent psychiatric illness. Comorbid major depression significantly impacts a patient's urinary incontinence symptom reporting, incontinence-specific quality of life, and functional status.