Encopresis: a holistic approach

Encopresis is an often under-reported and poorly researched complexity. Earlier treatment followed either a medical or a psychological approach, with little acknowledgement of the social factors involved. Only recently has the biopsychosocial model been recognised. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the holistic treatment model with regard to the prevalence of encopresis, depressive symptomatology, parental involvement and the self-image of the children. The experimental group received treatment during the study while the control group received treatment only after completion of the post-tests. The study demonstrated a relatively high success rate using the holistic treatment approach.