#1071

Psychological Impact of Urological Disorders on Men’s Mental Health: A Call for Integrated Support

D. Sitharthan^1,2, D. Armany¹

¹Nepean Hospital, Urology, Sydney, Australia
²UNSW, Discipline of Surgery, Sydney, Australia

Introduction:

Urological disorders profoundly affect men's psychological health, significantly influencing patient outcomes and quality of life. Conditions such as prostate cancer, bladder cancer, erectile dysfunction, and benign prostatic hyperplasia frequently induce anxiety, depression, social isolation, and identity-related distress. Despite the high prevalence and severe psychological impact, current urological practices often underemphasise mental health support. This abstract highlights the urgency of systematically integrating comprehensive mental health support within standard urological care, aiming to bridge existing gaps and enhance overall patient wellbeing.

Material and methods:

A systematic review of global epidemiological data, recent psychological outcome studies, patient-reported outcomes, and existing integrated care models was conducted. Psychological measures utilised included validated instruments such as the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), General Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) scales, and quality of life assessments. Analysis specifically focused on interventions involving onsite psychological services, psycho-oncology programmes, multidisciplinary care teams comprising urologists, psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers, as well as telehealth-based psychological support.

Results:

Men diagnosed with urological conditions demonstrated significantly elevated levels of depression (up to 43% in erectile dysfunction cases) and anxiety, compounded by societal stigma, embarrassment, and traditional masculine norms discouraging help-seeking behaviours. Integrated care models employing onsite psycho-oncology services reported substantial improvements in patients' psychological wellbeing, symptom management, treatment adherence, and overall satisfaction. Multidisciplinary collaborations allowed for a more cohesive and comprehensive patient management strategy, ensuring timely psychological interventions alongside urological treatments. Additionally, telehealth initiatives proved highly effective in extending mental health support to patients who would otherwise face barriers due to geographic isolation or limited local resources, thereby reducing mental distress and improving adherence to treatment regimens.