1. Rates and correlates of medication non-adherence behaviors and attitudes in adult patients with early psychosis.
- Author
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So YK, Chan CY, Fung SC, Lui TT, Lau FC, Chan KW, Lee HM, Lui SY, Hui LM, Chen E, and Chang WC
- Subjects
- Humans, Adult, Male, Female, Middle Aged, Hong Kong, Surveys and Questionnaires, Social Stigma, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales, Psychotic Disorders drug therapy, Psychotic Disorders psychology, Medication Adherence psychology, Medication Adherence statistics & numerical data, Antipsychotic Agents therapeutic use
- Abstract
Purpose: Literature on antipsychotic medication adherence in early psychosis primarily assessed adherence behaviors and focused on young patients. There is a paucity of research investigating negative medication attitude and its determinants in the early illness course, particularly in older-aged sample. We aimed to examine prevalence and correlates of medication non-adherence behaviors and negative medication attitudes separately in adult patients with early psychosis., Methods: One hundred ninety-nine Chinese early psychosis patients aged 26-55 years who had received three-year treatment for first psychotic episode in Hong Kong were examined. Assessments encompassing socio-demographics, premorbid adjustment, clinical and treatment profiles, self-stigma and therapeutic alliance were conducted. Patients were evaluated with Medication Compliance Questionnaire, which is a modified Chinese-translated version of Medication Adherence Rating Scale and includes items measuring adherence behaviors and attitudes towards medications., Results: Rates of medication non-adherence and negative attitude towards medications were 38.7% and 50.8%, respectively. Multivariate regression analysis showed that more severe positive symptoms, greater self-stigma and negative medication attitude were independently associated with medication non-adherence. Negative attitude towards medications was significantly associated with younger age, higher educational attainment, diagnosis of other psychotic disorders, poorer insight, greater self-stigma and less satisfaction with communication with healthcare staff, which represented an index reflecting suboptimal therapeutic alliance., Conclusion: Antipsychotic non-adherence and negative medication attitudes are frequently observed in adult early psychosis patients. Our findings indicate that poor insight, elevated self-stigma and suboptimal therapeutic alliance may constitute potential treatment targets for promoting medication adherence and rectifying negative medication attitudes in the early illness stage., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany.)
- Published
- 2024
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