Depression Index In Fathers Of Children With Primary Nocturnal Enuresis: The Invisible Part Of Iceberg

Aim of this study was to evaluate depression level of fathers whose children have monosymptomatic primary nocturnal enuresis (pNE). Present study was a retrospective view of prospective recorded data. The multicentre study was conducted between April 2014 and August 2016, in family medicine, urology, and paediatric nephrology outpatient clinics and fathers of children with pNE were evaluated. We administered behavioural therapy with alarm device, first. Children who did not respond behavioural therapy were given oral/nasal desmopressin. World Health Organization quality of life (QoL) forms and Beck Depression inventory (BDI) were used for determining QoL and depression index of parents, respectively. A total of parents of 47 children including 21 (45%) girls and 26 (55%) boys with pNE were enrolled and evaluated before and at 6th month of the treatment. The mean age of children was 7.4±2.5 years. The behavioural therapy with alarm devices was successful in 29 children (61.7%). Additionally, 18 children (38.3%) received oral/nasal desmopressin. Only 3 boys were refractor to all treatments. Mean age of fathers was 29.0±2.2 years. Fathers’ BDI scores before and after children’s treatment were 17.3±9.8 and 15.7±9.2, respectively, (p<0.001). As a conclusion, anxiety scores were high in fathers of children with pNE. Treatment modalities could develop BDI scores in fathers who have children with pNE.