Paruresis (shy bladder syndrome): a cognitive-behavioral treatment approach.
Paruresis is a social anxiety disorder characterized by a fear of being unable to urinate in the presence of others. This condition has not been covered in the social work literature, yet is a perfect example of a person-in-environment problem. This article explores the use of graduated exposure therapy during weekend-long workshops for the treatment of paruresis. One hundred one participants participated in workshops and were administered pretreatment, posttreatment, and 1-year follow-up treatment scales. Repeated measures analysis of variance indicated significant improvement in shy bladder symptoms. Significant improvement in global severity of shy bladder was observed posttreatment and at the 1-year follow-up point. Findings suggest that graduated exposure therapy improves self-reported global severity of shy bladder symptoms and that these gains were maintained at 1-year follow up.
School of Social Work, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA. ssoifer@ssw.umaryland.edu
Steven
S
Soifer
Joseph
J
Himle
Kathleen
K
Walsh
D000328:Adult; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D004493:Education; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013577:Syndrome; D014038:Toilet Facilities; D014555:Urination Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*