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Self‐harm and depression in women with urinary incontinence: a record‐linkage study
Author(s) -
Goldacre Michael J.,
Abisgold Julie D.,
Yeates David G.R.,
Voss Simon,
Seagroatt Valerie
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
bju international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.773
H-Index - 148
eISSN - 1464-410X
pISSN - 1464-4096
DOI - 10.1111/j.1464-410x.2006.06620.x
Subject(s) - urinary incontinence , depression (economics) , harm , medicine , linkage (software) , urinary system , urology , gynecology , psychology , social psychology , genetics , biology , economics , gene , macroeconomics
OBJECTIVE To investigate the association between self‐harm and urinary incontinence (UI), and between depression and UI, in women. PATIENTS AND METHODS The incidence of self‐harm in women with UI is not well documented. We analysed a statistical database that includes hospital contact data for UI and for self‐harm and depression. We calculated rate ratios for self‐harm and depression in a cohort of women admitted for UI, and rate ratios for UI in cohorts of women admitted with self‐harm or depression, compared with a control cohort. RESULTS After admission for UI, self‐harm was significantly high in young women (aged <45 years: rate ratio 1.73, 95% confidence intervals 1.37–2.14) but not in older women. Depression was associated with UI in all age groups, e.g. after admission for depression the rate ratio for UI within 5 years was 1.46 (1.33–1.75); and for UI at ≥ 5 years after admission for depression, it was 1.20 (1.05–1.35). CONCLUSIONS Young women with UI are at risk of self‐harm. For all age groups studied, depression was more common in women with UI than in others. Depression might be a consequence of UI, but the increase in risk at long intervals before admission with UI suggests that they might share underlying causal mechanisms.