Brady Sonya S, Camenga Deepa R, Coyne-Beasley Tamera, Falke Chloe, Fitzgerald Colleen M, Harlow Bernard L, Kenton Kimberly, Klusaritz Heather, Lewis Cora E, Rodriguez-Ponciano Dulce P, Rudser Kyle D, Smith Abigail R, Smith Ariana L, Sutcliffe Siobhan, Wilson-Powers Eliza, Cunningham Shayna D
Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Program in Health Disparities Research, University of Minnesota Medical School, 717 Delaware Street SE, Suite 166, Minneapolis, MN, 55414, USA.
Department of Emergency Medicine & Pediatrics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
Int Urogynecol J. 2025 Sep 10. doi: 10.1007/s00192-025-06270-3.
Depressive and anxiety symptoms are known risk factors for lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). To inform prevention and treatment strategies, this research examined whether greater emotional support seeking weakened associations of affective symptoms with LUTS and poorer bladder health.
Data were collected from women in the USA who participated in the RISE FOR HEALTH study of bladder health. In this cross-sectional analysis (analytic sample n = 1444), self-reported LUTS, perceived bladder health, and perceived impact of bladder health on five domains of living (social and occupational activities, travel, physical activities, intimacy, and emotions) were separately regressed on depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and emotional support seeking. Interaction tests examined whether emotional support seeking modified associations of affective symptoms with LUTS and bladder health.
Report of worse depressive symptoms, worse anxiety symptoms, and lower levels of engagement in emotional support seeking were associated with more frequent LUTS, poorer perceived bladder health, and lower perceived positive impact of bladder health on each domain of living. Emotional support seeking was not associated with LUTS and bladder health outcomes when adjusting for affective symptoms, and did not modify associations of affective symptoms with LUTS and bladder health outcomes.
Intervention research to prevent LUTS and promote bladder health can test strategies that include screening and providing timely treatment of affective symptoms. Health care providers treating women for LUTS can screen for affective symptoms and make referrals to ensure that both the physical health and the mental health needs of patients are being met.
抑郁和焦虑症状是下尿路症状（LUTS）的已知风险因素。为了为预防和治疗策略提供依据，本研究调查了更多地寻求情感支持是否会减弱情感症状与LUTS以及膀胱健康状况较差之间的关联。
数据收集自参与美国膀胱健康“健康崛起”研究的女性。在这项横断面分析中（分析样本n = 1444），分别将自我报告的LUTS、感知到的膀胱健康状况以及膀胱健康对生活五个领域（社交和职业活动、旅行、体育活动、亲密关系和情绪）的感知影响，对抑郁症状、焦虑症状和寻求情感支持进行回归分析。交互检验考察了寻求情感支持是否改变了情感症状与LUTS和膀胱健康之间的关联。
抑郁症状较重、焦虑症状较重以及寻求情感支持的参与度较低，与更频繁的LUTS、较差的膀胱健康感知以及膀胱健康对每个生活领域的较低积极影响相关。在调整情感症状后，寻求情感支持与LUTS和膀胱健康结果无关，也未改变情感症状与LUTS和膀胱健康结果之间的关联。
预防LUTS和促进膀胱健康的干预研究可以测试包括筛查和及时治疗情感症状的策略。为患有LUTS的女性提供治疗的医疗保健提供者可以筛查情感症状并进行转诊，以确保满足患者的身体健康和心理健康需求。
