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Non-compliance with treatment in patients suffering from schizophrenia: a study to evaluate possible contributing
M R Agarwal1, V K Sharma, K V Kishore Kumar
1Department of Psychiatry, Fazakerley Hospital, Liverpool, UK.
Background:
Various factors have been associated with non-compliance with treatment in schizophrenia. The aim of this study was to examine this association using standardised measures.
Method:
Compliance was determined and socio-demographic and illness variables recorded. Insight, subjective response to medication and relative's knowledge and attitude about schizophrenia were measured.
Results:
Non-compliant patients were younger, had shorter durations of illness, had an episodic course of illness, reported side-effects less frequently, made incorrect attributions to current positive symptoms more frequently and had a more negative subjective response to medication. Key relatives of non-compliant patients were more often employed.
Conclusions:
Patients need to experience for themselves the merits of taking medication before accepting the need to take them long-term. Psychoeducational and cognitive-behavioral interventions need to be targeted at changing attributions to current positive symptoms. The presence of a key person in the community is crucial to improve compliance.