[Systemic review of clinical interventions for reducing treatment non-adherence in psychosis]

Studies investigating the efficacy of clinical interventions for reducing treatment non-adherence have generated contrasting findings, and treatment non-adherence remains very common in clinical practice. This systematic review was carried out to investigate the efficacy of clinical interventions that community psychiatric services can implement to reduce non-adherence in patients with psychosis.

Systematic review of randomised clinical trials, controlled clinical trials and observational studies assessing the efficacy of adherence enhancing interventions.

Forty-seven studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in this systematic review. Data suitable for re-analysis were reported in 24 studies; from the remaining 23 studies, with no data suitable for re-analysis, outcome data were extracted according to what study authors reported. In the group of studies included in the meta-analysis educational and psychotherapeutic interventions were more effective than usual care in reducing patient non-adherence. The remaining 23 studies reported contrasting findings regarding the efficacy of educational strategies. Case management models improved the adherence in half of studies, while other interventions were effective in the majority of studies reported.

Community psychiatric services can arrange effective clinical interventions, backed by scientific evidence, for reducing patient non-adherence.