Criteria for encopresis (Swanwick, 1991):
(1) deposition of formed or semi-food stool into the underwear or other site
(2) occurs after the age of 4
(3) occurs on a regular basis
Terms:
(1) retentive (constipation) vs nonretentive
(2) organic vs nonorganic
(3) bowel control not gained (primary) vs bowel control gained but lost (secondary)
An example of an organic cause would be Hirschsprung's disease.
Nonorganic causes may include anxiety, being bullied, personality disorder, and conflict with parents.
One complication of encopresis when it is mishandled is stigma.
