An association between functional psychosis and urinary incontinence

Urinary incontinence commonly occurs in the setting of organic brain damage. However a literature search found no previous reports of an association between urinary incontinence and functional psychosis. Three cases are described in which patients with organic predisposing factors for the development of urinary incontinence showed an association between the degree of incontinence and the severity of their mental illness. It is suggested that the underlying psychosis may have contributed to the worsening of urinary incontinence, perhaps through non-specific factors such as poor attention, memory and psychotic symptoms. An association between functional psychosis and urinary incontinence has not been previously reported, and thus merits further investigation.