Diagnosis and treatment of encopresis: A review of the literature.

Describes diagnostic indicators that distinguish psychological from physiological encopresis. A behavioral definition of psychogenic encopresis is presented, and 4 treatment approaches to this problem are examined: (a) psychoanalytic, (b) medical, (c) behavioral, and (d) a combination of medical and behavioral. Evidence suggests that approaches (c) and (d) yield the most effective and efficient results. (33 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)