The psychological effects of treatments for lower urinary tract symptoms.
OBJECTIVE
To assess and evaluate the level of depression, anxiety and psychiatric status in patients with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) before and after treatment by surgery or drugs.


METHODS
The study included 123 patients (mean age 64.6 years, SD 7. 95) with LUTS who were treated medically (with alpha-blockers, i.e. terazosin, prazosin, doxazosin and alfuzosin), and 52 patients (mean age 69.6 years, SD 7.94) with LUTS and confirmed to have benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) who underwent transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP). Both groups were assessed at baseline and 3 months after treatment using standardized questionnaires (the Beck Depression Inventory, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and the General Health Questionnaire-12).


RESULTS
Patients before TURP were significantly more depressed, worried and psychiatrically morbid than were those before medical treatment. Three months after medical and surgical treatment, there was significantly less depression, anxiety and psychiatric morbidity in the TURP than in the medication group.


CONCLUSIONS
TURP is a better treatment than medication for minimising anxiety, depression and psychiatric morbidity after treatment in patients with LUTS, but causes greater psychological stress before treatment.
Quek
K F
KF
Health Research Development Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, and Department of Surgery, University Hospital, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Low
W Y
WY
Razack
A H
AH
Loh
C S
CS
D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D011470:Prostatic Hyperplasia / Q000523:psychology*; D020728:Transurethral Resection of Prostate / Q000523:psychology
D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists