Psychological aspects of patients with encopresis associated with chronic constipation

Chronic constipation is an extremely common and costly condition that can negatively impact the patient’s quality of life, resulting in a major economic and social burden. Most patients do not understand their situation and suffer from social isolation. The developmental particularities of the child cause the etiology and symptomatology of constipation to differ from those described by adults, which requires a specific management in terms of diagnosis and treatment. The specialty literature to date relies on fragmented studies focused on these particularities, as well as on the multitude of aspects of diagnostic and treatment related to chronic stool retention and bowel evacuation in children. The problem that is being studied is important not only from a medical and socioeconomic point of view, but also because some complications caused by chronic constipation (such as encopresis and enuresis) lead to the social isolation and physical and psycho-emotional impairment of these children.