[Adherence to neuroleptic treatment of schizophrenic patients]

Non adherence is a topical problem: about 50% of psychiatric patients do not take their medication as prescribed. Literature's overview is revealing a lack of definition of treatment adherence and the unsatisfactoriness of methods to measure it. Reasons for reluctance to take drugs include complex treatment regimen, drug presentation, duration of treatment and side-effects, most notably akathisia and akinesia. Information exchange with patients and their family about medication is also an important factor. The patient-doctor relationship appears to be a very sensitive aspect of the problem: attempting to view non adherence psychodynamically could lead to improve it.