IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v19y2022i8p4874-d795681.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Females with Eating Disorders and Urinary Incontinence: A Psychoanalytic Perspective

Author

Listed:
  • Qin Xiang Ng

    (MOH Holdings Pte Ltd., 1 Maritime Square, Singapore 099253, Singapore)

  • Yu Liang Lim

    (MOH Holdings Pte Ltd., 1 Maritime Square, Singapore 099253, Singapore)

  • Wayren Loke

    (MOH Holdings Pte Ltd., 1 Maritime Square, Singapore 099253, Singapore)

  • Kuan Tsee Chee

    (Institute of Mental Health, 10 Buangkok View, Buangkok Green, Medical Park, Singapore 539747, Singapore)

  • Donovan Yutong Lim

    (Institute of Mental Health, 10 Buangkok View, Buangkok Green, Medical Park, Singapore 539747, Singapore)

Abstract

Eating disorders (EDs) are complicated mental illnesses with significant treatment resistance and dropout rates. For successful treatment, it is important for clinicians to better understand the patients’ narrative and their lived experiences. A thorough psychodynamic understanding of patients’ childhood attachment and primary relationships, personality traits and mental processes is, therefore, crucial for managing patients with ED. Interestingly, several studies have observed an association between functional urinary symptoms and individuals with ED. EDs such as anorexia nervosa are associated with an increased risk of all urinary symptoms, and functional incontinence was also more common in extreme female athletes with low energy availability and with disordered eating. There is, however, a dearth of literature describing this relationship, and the underlying mechanisms remain remote. In this paper, we present a psychoanalytic approach to the presence of urinary symptoms in females with EDs. We hypothesize that these symptoms are tied to specific traits or characteristics of ED patients, namely the overarching need for control, a pathological strive for perfection and the self-denial of basic bodily urges. This is discussed in relation to psychopathological processes, development and personality factors commonly seen in patients with ED.

Suggested Citation

  • Qin Xiang Ng & Yu Liang Lim & Wayren Loke & Kuan Tsee Chee & Donovan Yutong Lim, 2022. "Females with Eating Disorders and Urinary Incontinence: A Psychoanalytic Perspective," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(8), pages 1-6, April.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:8:p:4874-:d:795681
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/8/4874/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/8/4874/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:8:p:4874-:d:795681. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.