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Direct and indirect predictors of medication adherence by adults with bipolar disorder

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 September 2022

B. Cohen
Affiliation:
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Medicine, Be’er Sheva, Israel
N. O’Rourke*
Affiliation:
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Public Health, Be’er Sheva, Israel
*
*Corresponding author.

Abstract

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Introduction

Medication adherence by persons with bipolar disorder (BD) is inconsistent. This is disconcerting, as BD is treatment responsive, side-effects are few, and the impact of both hypo/manic and depressive mood episodes can be considerable (e.g., self-harm).

Objectives

For this study, we computed a path model to identify both direct and indirect predictors of medication adherence. This included both clinical and psychosocial independent variables (e.g., BD symptoms, psychological well-being, alcohol misuse).

Methods

From the BADAS (Bipolar Affective Disorder and older Adults) Study, we identified a global sample of adults with the BD. Participants were recruited using microtargeted, Facebook advertising. This sample included persons living in Canada, U.S., U.K., Ireland, Australia and New Zealand (M = 55.35 years, SD = 9.65).

Results

Direct predictors included perceived cognitive failures and alcohol misuse. Of note, medication adherence is inversely associated with number of prescribed antipsychotic medications. Neither symptoms of depression nor hypo/mania emerged as direct predictors of medication adherence. Similarly, psychological well-being appears indirectly associated with adherence (via BD symptoms).

Conclusions

Despite the wide age range of participants (22 – 73 years), age did not emerge as a predictor of adherence. Nor do cognitive failures appear significantly associated with age suggesting that both young and older adults with BD perceived cognitive loss.

Disclosure

No significant relationships.

Type
Abstract
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the European Psychiatric Association
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