Johns Hopkins Psychiatry Guide
Encopresis
DEFINITION
- Encopresis is the repeated passage of stool in inappropriate places by children four years of age or older.
- Examples of inappropriate places include in clothes, on the floor, or in bed.
- There are two major subtypes:
- With constipation and overflow incontinence (retentive, most common)
- Without constipation and overflow incontinence (non-retentive, often behavioral or psychiatric)
- Encopresis is classified under the Elimination Disorders section of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5)[1].
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Last updated: August 29, 2025
Citation
Gary, Joseph, et al. "Encopresis." Johns Hopkins Psychiatry Guide, The Johns Hopkins University, 2025. Johns Hopkins Guides, www.hopkinsguides.com/hopkins/view/Johns_Hopkins_Psychiatry_Guide/787082/1/Encopresis.
Gary J, Rastogi P, Hankinson JC. Encopresis. Johns Hopkins Psychiatry Guide. The Johns Hopkins University; 2025. https://www.hopkinsguides.com/hopkins/view/Johns_Hopkins_Psychiatry_Guide/787082/1/Encopresis. Accessed October 8, 2025.
Gary, J., Rastogi, P., & Hankinson, J. C. (2025). Encopresis. In Johns Hopkins Psychiatry Guide. The Johns Hopkins University. https://www.hopkinsguides.com/hopkins/view/Johns_Hopkins_Psychiatry_Guide/787082/1/Encopresis
Gary J, Rastogi P, Hankinson JC. Encopresis [Internet]. In: Johns Hopkins Psychiatry Guide. The Johns Hopkins University; 2025. [cited 2025 October 08]. Available from: https://www.hopkinsguides.com/hopkins/view/Johns_Hopkins_Psychiatry_Guide/787082/1/Encopresis.
* Article titles in AMA citation format should be in sentence-case
TY - ELEC
T1 - Encopresis
ID - 787082
A1 - Gary,Joseph,M.D.
AU - Rastogi,Pramit,M.D., M.P.H.
AU - Hankinson,Jessica,Ph.D.
Y1 - 2025/08/29/
BT - Johns Hopkins Psychiatry Guide
UR - https://www.hopkinsguides.com/hopkins/view/Johns_Hopkins_Psychiatry_Guide/787082/1/Encopresis
PB - The Johns Hopkins University
DB - Johns Hopkins Guides
DP - Unbound Medicine
ER -
