Compliance – Factors Affecting Compliance to Medication in Psychiatry
Compliance to medication is an important clinical issue in psychiatry as non-compliance to medication is one of the commonest causes of treatment failure. Non-compliance with psychiatric medication is common with serious mental illness, with estimated rates of non-compliance between 50 – 75 per cent. Non-adherence with psychiatric medication is associated with an increase in poorer outcomes.
CAUSES OF NON-COMPLIANCE TO MEDICATION IN PSYCHIATRY
Patient factors
- Attitudes towards medication
- Family attitude towards medication
- Stigma
- Cultural factors – alternative healing
- Social Isolation
- Personality Style – rebel against authority
Illness factors
- Delusions
- Hallucinations
- Cognitive impairment
- Depression
- Lack of insight
Medication factors
- Lack of efficacy
- Side effects
- Complexity of regime
- Cost of medication
System Factors
- Cost of medication
- Transport factors – distance to travel to access mental health services
- Lack of therapeutic alliance
- Inadequate supervision