Medication compliance in a Chinese psychiatric out-patient setting

The knowledge and attitudes of 36 psychiatric out-patients regarding medication were investigated by personal interview. Over 80 per cent of the variance of self-report medication compliance was predictable from an array of socio-economic variables and cognitive variables. Compliers and non-compliers differed in their expectancy and prior experience of beneficial effects of the medication, and in their fear of undesirable side-effects and the problem of addiction. Using causal modeling procedures, self-report compliant behaviour was causally linked to favourable attitudes and fear, which in turn were linked to knowledge of name, dose, purpose, and side-effects of the medication and the perceived stigma of the illness. Implications for patient education aimed at improving patient compliance are discussed.