EPA-0400 – Non-adherence in Mental Health Disorders: Strategies to Enhance Patient Adherence to Treatment Used by Mental Healthcare Professionals

Abstract

Introduction:

Treatment non-adherence is a major factor contributing to poor clinical outcomes in mental health disorders¹(MHD). Patient adherence to treatment is likely to be influenced by a complex interaction of treatment, patient, and clinician factors. This compels the clinician to undertake a thorough clinical assessment with each patient to enhance the likelihood of engagement in treatment and develop strategies to improve treatment adherence².

Objectives:

a. to assess the main strategies used by mental healthcare professional (MHP);b. to evaluate beliefs that difficult to implement strategies to enhance adherence to treatment.

Aims:

The study explored the strategies used by MHP and their beliefs about patients with MHD.

Methods:

We used the Difficulties Implementing Adherence Strategies³(DIAS) and Medication Alliance Beliefs Questionnaire⁴(MABQ). In DIAS, the participants were asked to rate how often they had difficulties using each of the 33 strategies with consumers who were nonadherent. The 22- item MABQ was used to assess clinician attitudes towards non-adherence.

Results:

A convenience sample of forty-five MHP working in a variety of settings is being collected. The results demonstrate that only 48.9% of MHP use strategies of adherence on a regular basis and the most used, according DIAS, is ’Discussing with the patient the link between disruptions in their life and the need to take medication’(n=45;often:53,3% and always:26,3%).

Conclusion:

A vast literature has been developed on strategies to enhance patient adherence to treatment 5. This study also established the utility of the DIAS and MABQ to facilitate future work in this area-in particular, the identification of strategies and specific attitudes that might form barriers to the implementation of adherence strategies.