Bed wetting and emotional disorder: an "interactionist" model.

Twenty-two of 94 4-year-olds in a nursery schools sample in a working class area wet their beds at least once a week. The enuresis was significantly associated with other behavioural items which could be interpreted as representing general emotional immaturity. A malaise score of the enuretics' mothers was higher than that of the remaining mothers. It is suggested that from these results can be seen the beginning of a damaging interaction which could lead to emotional disorder in the child.