Beliefs about antipsychotic versus hypoglycemic medications among individuals with serious mental illness and type 2 diabetes

Abstract

Jennifer M Aakre,1 Deborah R Medoff,1,2 Lisa B Dixon,1,2 Julie A Kreyenbuhl1,21VA Capitol Healthcare Network Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Baltimore VA Medical Center, 2Division of Services Research, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USABackground: This study compared the beliefs held by individuals with coexisting serious mental illness and type 2 diabetes regarding the necessity and risks of taking antipsychotic versus hypoglycemic medications. We also investigated whether nonadherent patients differed from adherent patients in their beliefs about medications.Methods: Forty-four individuals with type 2 diabetes and serious mental illness who were prescribed hypoglycemic and antipsychotic medications completed a cross-sectional assessment of medication beliefs and adherence for both medication types.Results: Patients perceived a greater need for hypoglycemic versus antipsychotic medications; however, their beliefs were not associated with nonadherence to either medication type.Conclusion: These results suggest that individuals with coexisting serious mental illness and type 2 diabetes have stronger convictions regarding the necessity of their diabetes medication for maintaining their health.Keywords: nonadherence, antipsychotic medication, type 2 diabetes, medication beliefs, hypoglycemic medication, serious mental illness