Prediction of medication noncompliance in outpatients with schizophrenia: 2-year follow-up study.

Abstract

Neuroleptic noncompliance is a major reason for relapse in outpatients with schizophrenia. In a 2-year follow-up study, we used the Japanese version of the Rating of Medication Influences Scale (ROMI-J) to investigate the reasons for compliance and noncompliance in outpatients with schizophrenia. Ninety outpatients who were confirmed by interview to have had good compliance for more than 3 months completed the initial interview, which included the Clinical Global Impressions Scale (CGI), the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), the Global Assessment of Functioning Scale (GAF), the UKU Side Effect Rating Scale, and the ROMI-J. All the outpatients were followed up for 2 years. At the initial interview, the most frequent reason for compliance was "relapse prevention," while the most frequent reason for noncompliance was "distressed by side effects." Fifteen outpatients who proved to be noncompliant in the follow-up period had higher baseline BPRS "agitation" scores and ROMI-J "no perceived daily benefit" ratings than compliant patients. Sixty-four outpatients who maintained compliance during the follow-up had higher baseline ROMI-J ratings of "fulfillment of life goals" than their noncompliant counterparts. It is important to understand the attitudes of patients with schizophrenia toward drug therapy in order to predict better compliance and provide psychoeducation designed to forestall relapses.

• Authors: Kazuo Yamada, Koichiro Watanabe, Naoyuki Nemoto, Hidechika Fujita, Chikayo Chikaraishi, Keita Yamauchi, Gohei Yagi, Masahiro Asai, Shigenobu Kanba
• Journal: Psychiatry research (Psychiatry Res) Vol. 141 Issue 1 Pg. 61-9 (Jan 30 2006) ISSN: 0165-1781 [Print] Ireland
• PMID: 16318875 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Antipsychotic Agents

Topics

• Adolescent
• Adult
• Aged
• Ambulatory Care
• Antipsychotic Agents (therapeutic use)
• Attitude to Health
• Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale
• Female
• Follow-Up Studies
• Health Behavior
• Humans
• Interview, Psychological
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Predictive Value of Tests
• Schizophrenia (diagnosis, drug therapy, therapy)
• Surveys and Questionnaires
• Treatment Refusal (statistics & numerical data)