Attitude toward medication as a predictor of therapeutic adherence. Importance of psychoeducation on treatment

Abstract

Introduction

Between 25–50% of psychiatric patients are non-compliant with their pharmacological treatment. When differences between compliant and non-compliant patients were analyzed, differences were found in relation to their beliefs and feelings about medication. The Drug Attitude Inventory (DAI) was created to measure attitudes towards medication in adults. It predicted adherence in schizophrenia and depression studies.

Objective

Determine if psychotherapeutic and psychoeducational activities – during a partial hospitalization at the Psychiatric Day Hospital – can improve aspects related to feelings and thoughts about medication.

Method

We gathered retrospectively a sample of 151 patients hospitalized at the Psychiatric Day Hospital, from September 2013 to June 2015. Their thoughts and feelings about medication were measured with the DAI before and after the hospitalization. From the sample of 151 patients, 94 completed both tests, excluding who did not have the final DAI score. Differences between initial and final scores were statistically analyzed with the Wilcoxon test for paired samples.

Results

Of the 94 patients who completed the study, 52 showed an improvement in their DAI score, whereas the remaining 27 showed an equal or decreased final DAI compared to initial evaluation. The difference was statistically significant (P ≤ 0.05).

Conclusion

It seems that psychoeducational activities related to medication are important in order to reconsider or modify feelings and thoughts about treatment. Information on medication provided to psychiatric patients (to those who need psychopharmacological treatment), carried out in a group context, which facilitates an open and sincere communication, can be a useful strategy to improve compliance with treatment.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.