Frontiers in Psychiatry (Jan 2022)

Medication Adherence in a Cross-Diagnostic Sample of Patients From the Affective-to-Psychotic Spectrum: Results From the PsyCourse Study

  • Sophie-Kathrin Kirchner,
  • Sophie-Kathrin Kirchner,
  • Michael Lauseker,
  • Kristina Adorjan,
  • Kristina Adorjan,
  • Heike Anderson-Schmidt,
  • Ion-George Anghelescu,
  • Bernhardt T. Baune,
  • Bernhardt T. Baune,
  • Bernhardt T. Baune,
  • Monika Budde,
  • Udo Dannlowski,
  • Detlef E. Dietrich,
  • Detlef E. Dietrich,
  • Detlef E. Dietrich,
  • Andreas J. Fallgatter,
  • Peter Falkai,
  • Christian Figge,
  • Katrin Gade,
  • Urs Heilbronner,
  • Lena Hiendl,
  • Georg Juckel,
  • Janos L. Kalman,
  • Janos L. Kalman,
  • Janos L. Kalman,
  • Farahnaz Klöhn-Saghatolislam,
  • Carsten Konrad,
  • Fabian U. Lang,
  • Mojtaba Oraki Kohshour,
  • Mojtaba Oraki Kohshour,
  • Sergi Papiol,
  • Sergi Papiol,
  • Daniela Reich-Erkelenz,
  • Jens Reimer,
  • Jens Reimer,
  • Eva Z. Reininghaus,
  • Sabrina K. Schaupp,
  • Max Schmauß,
  • Andrea Schmitt,
  • Andrea Schmitt,
  • Eva Christina Schulte,
  • Eva Christina Schulte,
  • Simon Senner,
  • Carsten Spitzer,
  • Thomas Vogl,
  • Jörg Zimmermann,
  • Alkomiet Hasan,
  • Alkomiet Hasan,
  • Thomas G. Schulze,
  • Thomas G. Schulze,
  • Fanny Senner,
  • Fanny Senner

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.713060
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12

Abstract

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IntroductionAccording to the World Health Organization, medication adherence is defined as the extent to which a person's behavior corresponds with an agreed recommendation from a healthcare provider. Approximately 50% of patients do not take their medication as prescribed, and non-adherence can contribute to the progress of a disease. For patients suffering from mental diseases non-adherence plays an important role. Various factors have been proposed as contributing to non-adherence, however the literature remains heterogeneous dependent on the analyzed patient subgroups. This study comprehensively evaluates the association of sociodemographic, clinical, personality and quality of life related factors with medication adherence by analyzing data from the PsyCourse study. The PsyCourse study is a large and cross-diagnostic cohort of psychiatric patients from the affective-to-psychotic spectrum.MethodsThe study sample comprised 1,062 patients from the PsyCourse study with various psychiatric diagnoses (mean [SD] age, 42.82 [12.98] years; 47.4% female). Data were analyzed to identify specific factors associated with medication adherence, and adherence was measured by a self-rating questionnaire. Odds ratios (OR) were estimated by a logistic regression for binary outcomes. Missing data were imputed using multiple imputation.ResultsThe following factors showed the strongest association with medication adherence: never having used illicit drugs (OR, 0.71), number of prescribed antipsychotics (OR, 1.40), the personality trait conscientiousness (OR, 1.26), and the environmental domain of quality of life (OR, 1.09).ConclusionIn a large and cross-diagnostic sample, we could show that a higher level of conscientiousness, a higher number of antipsychotic medication, a better quality of life within the environmental domain, and the absence of substance abuse contribute to a better medication adherence independent of the underlying disorder.

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