Compliance with antipsychotic drug treatment: influence of side effects

In addition to other factors such as type and duration of treatment, patient- and illness-related variables and other psychosocial features, side effects are known to exert a significant influence on the compliance with antipsychotic treatment. This has been demonstrated for extrapyramidal motor side effects and akathisia, sedation, weight gain and sexual dysfunctions. Other adverse events interfering with the patients' social roles also interfere with the patients' willingness to comply with treatment. It is important to acknowledge this not only in the acute treatment of schizophrenia but especially during maintenance and prophylactic treatment. Compliance can be considerably improved by a) adequately informing the patient about the risks and nature of side effects and b) by recognizing and treating side effects, since prevention of adverse events is not easily achieved. An underestimation of the influence of side effects on compliance will often lead to treatment failures that are erroneously attributed to treatment resistance.