Relationship Between Medication Adherence and Beliefs in Patients with Mental Health Disorders

Abstract

Introduction

Medication non-adherence is a major factorcontributing to poor clinical outcomes in patients with mental health disordersand is a complex behaviouralprocess determined by several interactingfactors. Patient adherence to treatment is likely to be influenced by a complexinteraction of treatment, patient beliefs and sociodemographic factors.

Objectives

The aim of this study is to identify patient relatedfactors that affect adherence and assess the impact of attitudes and beliefs inmedication adherence.

Methods

This cross sectional study is being developed at Mental Health Departments of 3general hospitals in Lisbon great area. The sample is being collected through individual interviews. The participants will complete the Beliefsabout Medicines Questionnaire (Horneet al., 1997); Medication Adherence Questionnaire (Delgado & Lima, 2001) and additional measures to assess symptom severity, illness perception and sociodemographic characteristics.

Results

We enrolled a total of 121 patients (mean age= 39.8; ± 9.3) withthe following diagnoses: schizophrenia(40.5%),schizo-affective(5.8%), bipolar disorder (50.4%) and other psychosis (3.3%). We have found a significant negative correlation withmedication beliefs and adherence (r=-0.226;p= 0.013) and a significant correlation with beliefs and psychopathology (r=0.41;p=0.00), i.e., patientswith negative beliefs and higher levels of psychopathology, less adhered tomedication.

Conclusion

Shared discussion of beliefs about medication betweenpatient and mental health professional allows wider exploration of personalmeanings that can help to improve medication adherence and therapeuticalliance. Further research on patients beliefs should focus on targeting non-adherent patientswhose reasons for their non-adherence is driven bytheir medication beliefs.