| Synonym: | Psychogenic fecal retention |
| Specialty: | Psychology |
Parcopresis, also termed psychogenic fecal retention or shy bowel, and known coloquially as poop shy, is the inability to defecate without a certain level of privacy. It can be either a difficulty or inability to defecate due to significant psychological distress, and is associated with avoidance in public and social situations.[1] It is typically researched alongside and has comorbidity with paruresis, which is an inability or difficulty to urinate in the presence of others.
Parcopresis is not a medically recognized condition,[2] although one case report in 2011 suggests it should be classified as a form of social phobia.[3], little is known about parcopresis and it has unknown prevalence. One 2021 study with a sample size of 714 university students found that a gender-adjusted 14.4% of the study population avoided using public toilets for fears associated with parcopresis, with significantly higher prevalence among females.[4] Cognitive behavioral therapy is speculated to provide the most benefit, but there is not yet research to support this claim.