Medication beliefs and adherence to antidepressants in primary care

The aim of this study was to determine whether patient beliefs about the necessity and concerns about medication were associated with adherence among those presenting with depression in primary care.

At the end of a routine consultation with their general medical practitioner, patients completed questionnaires including measures of beliefs about medication, self reported adherence, depression severity, and demographic information.

A significant relationship between beliefs in the necessity of antidepressants and adherence was not found. However, patient concerns with medications were positively associated with non-adherence. Where beliefs about the necessity outweighed concerns about taking the medication, significantly greater adherence was observed. Fewer depressive symptoms were also associated with greater adherence.

This study extended prior research on the role of patient beliefs in medication adherence for chronic physical health problems by showing the belief-adherence relationship in a depressed patient sample. A balance between beliefs about the costs and benefits of medication are likely to be important in understanding adherence with other medications.