Initial adherence by psychiatric outpatients in a general hospital and relevant personal factors

Initial adherence is a predictor of long-term adherence and thus is a crucial metric to explore and support. This study aimed to investigate initial adherence by psychiatric outpatients and relevant personal factors.

The study surveyed psychiatric outpatients using a 30-day timely return visit rate (TRVR) after the first visit to indicate initial adherence. All participants agreed to engage in the self-designed survey and assessments of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ) and Symptoms Checklist-90 (SCL-90). Clients who missed timely return visits received telephone follow-up to determine the main reasons.

The overall TRVR was 59.4, and 40.6% of clients missed return visits. Logistic regression analysis revealed risk factors for initial adherence were work, tense family atmosphere, negative attitudes towards medication, higher EPQ psychoticism score, and lower SCL-90 phobic anxiety score. The main reasons given for non-timely return visits were improvement suggesting lack of need for a return visit, various barriers, no improvement, and side effects.

Psychiatric outpatients had poor initial adherence related to multiple dimensional factors, including job, family, personality characteristics, mental status, and thoughts about mental illness and treatments.