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Socio-cognitive processes associated with bladder and bowel incontinence anxiety: A proposed bivalent model

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Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine whether the extended bivalent fear of evaluation model (extended BFOE) of Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) could be used to explain bladder and bowel incontinence anxiety (BBIA). It was hypothesised that the relationship between dysfunctional attitudes (DAs) and BBIA would be mediated by fear of negative evaluation (FNE), fear of positive evaluation (FPE), concerns of social reprisal (CSR), and disqualification of positive social outcomes (DPSO). Three-hundred-and-seventeen undergraduate students (76.7% female; mean age = 31.07 years) completed a cross-sectional online study. A structural equation model (SEM) supported the proposed model (χ2 p value = .131, CMIN/df = 1.560, CFI = .996, TLI = .990, RMSEA = .042, SRMR = .0245) with significant relationships found between DAs and FNE (p < .001), DAs and FPE (p = .002), DAs and CSR (p = .007), FNE and CSR (p < .001), FNE and DPSO (p < .001), FPE and CSR (p < .001), FPE and DPSO (p < .001), CSR and DPSO (p < .001), BBIPSS bladder and bowel with incontinence anxiety (p < .001). These results suggest that DAs, FNE, and DPSO are important contributory factors in BBIA. Given that FNE was the strongest mediator in the model, clinicians may find it advantageous to target FNE in treatment of incontinence-anxiety.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank all the individuals who participated in our research.

Funding

This research was conducted through the support of the Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychological Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia

    Kenley L. J. Kuoch & Simon R. Knowles

  2. Department of Statistics, Data Science and Epidemiology, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia

    Denny Meyer

  3. Centre for Mental Health, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia

    Denny Meyer

  4. School of Psychology, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia

    David W. Austin

  5. Department of Psychiatry, St Vincent’s Hospital, Melbourne, Australia

    Simon R. Knowles

  6. Department of Medicine, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia

    Simon R. Knowles

  7. Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, Australia

    Simon R. Knowles

  8. Swinburne University of Technology, John St, Hawthorn, Melbourne, VIC, 3122, Australia

    Simon R. Knowles

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  1. Kenley L. J. Kuoch
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Correspondence to Simon R. Knowles.

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Kuoch, K.L.J., Meyer, D., Austin, D.W. et al. Socio-cognitive processes associated with bladder and bowel incontinence anxiety: A proposed bivalent model. Curr Psychol 40, 5402–5409 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-019-00496-3

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