Men's experiences of having lower urinary tract symptoms: factors relating to bother.
OBJECTIVE
To gain an understanding of men's experiences of having lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and of bother, a principle determinant of whether a patient has an intervention for LUTS.


METHODS
Data were collected on 75 patients with LUTS presenting to a urology outpatient clinic. Men completed a questionnaire asking about their symptoms, bother, mood and perceptions about LUTS.


RESULTS
Most participants scored within the normal range for anxiety and depression, and expressed a moderate level of distress. They were to some extent bothered by their symptoms. Most men perceived LUTS as a long-term problem but felt unable to control their symptoms. The results suggest that bother reflects men's overall distress with having LUTS. Bother appears to be related to symptom severity, self perception, social limitation and the impact of LUTS. Embarrassment and social anxiety relate strongly to bother.


CONCLUSIONS
Several psychological factors relate to bother; it may be possible to reduce bother using a brief psychological intervention.
Department of Clinical Psychology, Postgraduate Medical Institute, Robert Blackburn Building, University of Hull, Hull HU6 7RX, UK. L.F.Glover@hull.ac.uk
Lesley
L
Glover
Kenneth
K
Gannon
Joanne
J
McLoughlin
Mark
M
Emberton
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology*; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology*; D004644:Emotions; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014555:Urination Disorders / Q000523:psychology*