Punishment for bedwetting is associated with child depression and reduced quality of life

• Published in: Child abuse & neglect Vol. 43; pp. 22 - 29
• Main Authors: Al-Zaben, Faten Nabeel, Sehlo, Mohammad Gamal
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.05.2015; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Subjects: Adolescent; Case-Control Studies; Child; Child abuse & neglect; Child discipline; Child Rearing; Control Groups; Corporal punishment; Cross-Sectional Studies; Depression; Depressive Disorder - psychology; Female; Humans; Male; Mental depression; Nocturnal enuresis; Nocturnal Enuresis - psychology; Parental punishment; Pediatrics; Psychiatry; Punishment; Punishment - psychology; Quality of life; Quality of Life - psychology; Surveys and Questionnaires; Nocturnal enuresis; Depression; Parental punishment; Quality of life
• ISSN: 0145-2134; 1873-7757
• DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2014.11.007

Abstract This study assessed the relationship between parental punishment and depression as well as quality of life in children with primary monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis (PMNE). A consecutive sample of 65 children (7–13 years) with PMNE and 40 healthy children, selected as controls (Group III), were included in the study. The children with PMNE were further sub-classified into two groups: Group I, which included children who received parental punishment for enuresis and Group II, which comprised children who were not punished for bedwetting. Depression and health-related quality of life (HRQL) were assessed among the three groups. The number of wet nights per week was significantly increased in Group I compared with Group II ( P < .001). In addition, the severity of depressive symptoms increased in Group I as compared to the other two groups ( P < .001). Similarly, the psychosocial HRQL lower in Group compared to the control group (Group III) ( P < .001). Prior parental discipline, including corporal punishment ( B = 0.55, P = .008), as well as the frequency ( B = 0.73, P < .001) and duration of punishment ( B = 0.33, P = .02) were strong predictors of increased depressive symptom severity. It was also found that prior punishment ( B = −0.42, P = .01) and the frequency ( B = −0.62, P < .001) and duration of punishment ( B = −0.34, P = .02) were strong predictors for poor psychosocial HRQL. Overall, parental punishment has a poor outcome in children with PMNE.