ObjectiveKidney stone disease (KSD) is a common, complex and painful urological condition, but how patients make sense of and respond to the challenges of KSD is poorly understood. Using the common‐sense model of illness self‐regulation (CSM‐SR), we aimed to explore the illness experiences of individuals with KSD.DesignA qualitative design using individual semi‐structured interviews.MethodsThirty‐three patients with KSD attending outpatient urology services participated in interviews informed by the CSM‐SR. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Themes were mapped onto the domains of the CSM‐SR.ResultsFive main themes were generated, broadly echoing domains within the CSM‐SR: (1) making sense of KSD, (2) normality paused, (3) the psychological burden of KSD, (4) the tensions of managing KSD, and (5) improving understanding of KSD. Additionally, findings suggested that partners' perceptions of KSD were an additional contextual factor that informed patients' own perceptions and management of KSD. Participants appraised initial KSD symptoms as indicative of a serious health threat. Diagnosis brought some relief, however, KSD wielded multi‐dimensional impacts on patients' perceptions, self‐management and well‐being. Anxiety, including fear of KSD recurrence, and low mood were common psychological burdens across narratives.ConclusionThe majority of the themes identified were commensurate with an extended CSM‐SR. This model has utility in informing how patients perceive and manage KSD. Examining patients' KSD representations and routinely assessing for psychological distress may be of benefit to improve health outcomes for this patient group.

No abstract

Purpose:Urolithiasis can be a painful condition associated with significant individual and health care burdens. Several studies have shown that anxiety and depression, termed psychological distress, may be associated with urolithiasis. However, there is little consensus on this relationship. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis on the relationship between urolithiasis and psychological distress and examined rates of psychological distress in this population.Materials and Methods:We searched online databases including MEDLINE (via PubMed), Embase (via Ovid), Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library with predefined search criteria up to March 2022 utilizing the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analyses. Forty-nine peer-reviewed publications were included in this review. We performed a narrative synthesis on included studies, and a random-effects meta-analysis to obtain a single summary estimate for the relationship between urolithiasis and anxiety.Results:Narrative synthesis found evidence for a relationship between urolithiasis and psychological distress, both anxiety and depression. Meta-analysis of 7 studies found a moderate pooled association between urolithiasis and state anxiety. Additionally, higher proportions of urolithiasis patients experienced psychological distress compared to nonurolithiasis samples across studies. Our findings are limited by the observed heterogeneity in assessment protocols within the data set.Conclusions:Our findings suggest a moderate but significant association between anxiety and urolithiasis, as well as a greater than expected number of urolithiasis patients experiencing psychological distress. More high-quality research studies are required to better understand factors that may influence the relationship between urolithiasis and psychological distress.

Urinary calculi are common and are associated with high levels of acute and chronic morbidity. Joshi rightly highlights the importance of longitudinal assessments of individuals with urinary calculi to understand the impact of nuances of the condition on individuals' health-related quality of life. The judicious use of routine assessments at key points in the patient's journey, such as initial presentation, treatment induction, post-surgery, recurrence, etc, will be helpful in addressing gaps