Psychological nursing approach on anxiety and depression of patients with severe urinary incontinence after radical prostatectomy – a pilot study

OBJECTIVE: To implement a psychological intervention programme and explore its effects on anxiety and depression in patients with severe urinary incontinence following radical prostatectomy. METHODS: This pilot randomized controlled trial recruited patients that underwent laparoscopic radical prostatectomy. Patients were randomized to conventional nursing and psychoeducation groups. The primary outcome was the levels of anxiety and depression evaluated by the self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) and self-rating depression scale (SDS) at 3 months after urinary catheter removal. The quality of life (secondary outcome) was evaluated using the incontinence-specific quality of life scale (I-QOL). RESULTS: The study analysed 35 patients: 16 received conventional nursing and 19 received a psychoeducational intervention. There were no significant differences in the sociodemographic data and SAS, SDS and I-QOL scores between the two groups at baseline. At 3 months after catheter removal, the SAS and SDS scores in the psychoeducation group were significantly lower compared with the conventional nursing group; and the I-QOL score in the psychoeducation group was significantly higher compared with the conventional nursing group. CONCLUSION: This pilot study suggests that the psychological nursing intervention improved the symptoms of anxiety and depression, and improved quality of life, in patients with severe urinary incontinence following radical prostatectomy.