Journal of Islamic International Medical College (Dec 2021)
Medication Non-Adherence in Anxiety and Depression
Abstract
Objective :To find out the frequency of non-adherence in patients with anxiety and depression, receiving treatment in teaching hospitals. Study Design: A cross-sectional descriptive study Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted at Pakistan Railway Hospital, Rawalpindi and Riphah International Hospital, Islamabad from1 June 2018 to 31 December 2018. Materials and Methods: After approval from Ethics review committee (ERC) and informed consent of the participants, those meeting inclusion criteria; 310 patients (n=310) were included in this study. Out of these 151(n=151) patients were suffering from depression, while 159(n=159) were having anxiety. Patients with mixed anxiety and depression were excluded. Demographic details (age, gender, education, marital status) were recorded. International classifications of diseases (ICD-10) diagnostic guidelines and clinical assessment was used to confirm diagnosis of anxiety and depression. The Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8) was used to measure levels of non-adherence. Data was analyzed using SPSS-20 and results compiled accordingly. Results: Out of 151(n=151) depressed patients 81.4% have low to medium adherence to pharmacological treatment, while out of 159(n=159), patients with anxiety 78% have medium to low adherence to prescribed treatment. Medication non-adherence was statistically significant in both anxious and depressed patients. Conclusion: Patients suffering from anxiety and depression show significant non- adherence to pharmacological treatment.
