Researchers at the University of Virginia Department of Urology and Walter Reed Army Medical Center have found that a brain chemical called serotonin, which malfunctions in people with depression, may also be linked to urge incontinence from an overactive bladder.

That means antidepressant drugs used to block serotonin absorption in the brain may also help patients manage urge incontinence. Unlike stress incontinence, which is when bladder muscles weaken through ageing, physical stress such as coughing, or neurological disorders, urge incontinence can be inherited and often begins in childhood.

Nurses who talk with their patients about incontinence should also be on the lookout for symptoms of depression and vice-versa.