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Psychological Aspects of Faecal Incontinence

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Fecal Incontinence

Abstract

There are many routes to becoming a patient with faecal incontinence (FI), many aetiologies of the disorder, and many personal histories. The “meaning” of the FI will be different for each patient, and his or her way of managing it will depend not only on aetiology but also on a number of personal, social and medical factors. Is the FI secondary to a medical or surgical mishap, or is it the by product of a life-saving surgical resection, an “act of God”, or an “act of man”? Has the FI been with the patient since childhood, and has he or she developed coping strategies; or is it of recent onset and as yet “new”, foreign and unmanageable? What medical support is available to the patient? What emotional support-from family, partner, friends and work associates-is available? Is the partner supportive, or resentful and disgusted? What habitual defence mechanisms do, the patient use in order to deal with adversity, and are these mechanisms overall successful or counterproductive?

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Authors
  1. Julian M. Stern
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgical Sciences Division of Digestive Surgery, Catholic University, Rome, Italy

    Carlo Ratto  & Giovanni B. Doglietto  & 

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© 2007 Springer-Verlag Italia

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Stern, J.M. (2007). Psychological Aspects of Faecal Incontinence. In: Ratto, C., Doglietto, G.B., Lowry, A.C., Påhlman, L., Romano, G. (eds) Fecal Incontinence. Springer, Milano. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-88-470-0638-6_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-88-470-0638-6_5

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Milano

  • Print ISBN: 978-88-470-0637-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-88-470-0638-6

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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