This study aimed to investigate the potential role of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), altered perception of bodily sensations, and somatization in the etiology of overactive bladder (OAB).
A total of 124 participants were included in the study. The case group consisted of 63 female patients diagnosed with OAB, and the control group comprised 61 age-matched healthy females. Demographic data were collected from all participants. All participants completed the OAB Questionnaire-V8 (OABQ-V8), Obsessive Beliefs Questionnaire-44 (OBQ-44), Body Sensations Questionnaire (BSQ), and Somatosensory Amplification Scale (SSAS).
There were no statistically significant differences between the groups in terms of age, education, or marital status. The OAB group demonstrated significantly higher scores on the OABQ-V8, OBQ-44, BSQ, and SSAS. Furthermore, the OABQ-V8 score exhibited a significant positive correlation with the OBQ-44, BSQ, and SSAS scores.
This study offers a new perspective on the psychological aspects of OAB, suggesting that OAB symptoms may result from heightened bodily sensations and subsequent somatization associated with OCD.
International neurourology journal. 2025 Mar 31 [Epub]
Tuncay Toprak, Basar Ayribas
Department of Urology, University of Health Sciences, Hamidiye Faculty of Medicine, FSM Health Practice & Research Center, Istanbul, Turkey., LWL Klinikum Marsberg, Psychiatry, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Marsberg, Germany.