Negative experiences with public bathrooms and chronic illness‐related shame

Abstract

The use of public bathrooms is a challenge for everyone, but especially for those who are affected by a bathroom-dependent condition. Being dependent on bathrooms is linked with different negative emotions. One of them is a clinically relevant emotion: shame associated with the chronic condition. In a cross-sectional survey study (n = 193) of people who suffer a bathroom-dependent condition we asked about health conditions, well-being, and shame related to chronic condition outcomes. We show a link between negative public bathroom experiences, and diminished well-being and feelings of shame related to chronic illness. We found that this relationship between negative experiences with public bathrooms and shame is not specific to the different conditions. We conclude that the negative experiences which people with different gastrointestinal illnesses face is an environmental stressor associated with more embarrassment as a result of the condition suffered.