Effect of enuresis on perceived parental acceptance-rejection in children

OBJECTIVE: Enuresis is a major problem affecting both the child and his family. This study aimed to investigate the effect of enuresis on mother acceptance-rejection perceived by children. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Fourty-six children and their mothers with the diagnosis of primary enuresis were included in the study. Parental Acceptance-Rejection Scale which consisted of 60 questions and consisted of four subscales: affection, hostility, neglect, and undifferentiated rejection was applied to both mothers and children. A dependent Sample t-test was used to compare the scale results of mothers and children, and an independent sample t-test was used to determine the factors affecting perceived high mother hostility in children. RESULTS: The mean age was 10.12±1.34 years and 58.70% of the children were boys. There was no statistically significant difference between total acceptance-rejection, affection, neglect, and undifferentiated rejection scores of mothers and children’s perceptions. The perceived hostility score of the children (25.71±8.05) was higher than the mothers’ hostility score (22.52±6.26) (p<0.05). The presence of maternal chronic disease was found to increase the perceived high hostility, while other factors were not statistically significant. Thirteen cases with chronic illnesses were excluded and re-analysis revealed that the difference between perceived and mother hostility persisted (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Children with enuresis perceive their mother’s behavior as more hostile than they are. It should be kept in mind that enuresis may affect the mother and child relationship, the family should be informed about the approach to the child.