The effect of psychological intervention combined with standard pharmacological therapy in patients with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS): A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND

Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) often coexists with anxiety and depression. This study assessed whether adding psychological intervention (PI) to standard pharmacotherapy improves patient outcomes.

METHODS

One hundred sixty eight adult patients diagnosed with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) were recruited for this study. They were randomly divided into control and PI groups. All patients in both groups received a 30-day standard prostatitis pharmacotherapy regimen with levofloxacin and tamsulosin. Additionally, the 84 patients in the PI group received PIs, unlike those in the control group. The self-rating depression scale and self-rating anxiety scale were employed to assess the psychological symptoms before and 3 months after the therapeutic treatments.

RESULTS

Following treatment, the PI group exhibited significantly better recovery from symptoms of anxiety, depression, and prostatitis compared to the control group. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that patients with longer disease durations had higher self-rating anxiety scale, self-rating depression scale, and National Institutes of Health-Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index Scale scores. The study demonstrated that PI has positive early effects on patients with CP/CPPS. However, its efficacy decreases as the duration of the disease progresses.

CONCLUSION

The combination of PI and conventional antibiotics is effective for CP/CPPS patients with longer disease course and more severe symptoms. Early PI is recommended to achieve better therapeutic results.