Beliefs about antidepressant medications in primary care patients: relationship to self-reported adherence.
BACKGROUND
Adherence to medication is unacceptably low in both medical and psychiatric disorders. Explanatory models of illness beliefs and behaviors suggest that an individual's beliefs about a disorder and its treatment will influence their adherence. Given that beliefs about medications may influence adherence to antidepressants, we examined beliefs about medications in relation to antidepressant adherence in a primary care sample.


OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this report is to 1) describe beliefs about medication in primary care patients prescribed antidepressants for depression; 2) examine the factor structure of the Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire (BMQ) and compare it with the previously reported factor structure of the BMQ in medical conditions; and 3) examine the association of medication beliefs with self-reported medication adherence.


RESULTS
Factor analysis indicates that the BMQ is valid in a sample of primary care patients receiving treatment for depression and has a similar factor structure to that obtained in samples of patients with chronic medical conditions. Beliefs about medications are significantly associated with self-reported adherence. Severity of depressive symptoms and specific concerns about antidepressants are significantly associated with self-reported medication-taking behavior. Findings suggest that in addition to telling patients how to take their medications, primary care physicians should also educate patients about the short- and long-term effects of the medication, how the medication works, and that antidepressants are not addictive.
Brown
Charlotte
C
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. brownc@upmc.edu
Battista
Deena R
DR
Bruehlman
Richard
R
Sereika
Susan S
SS
Thase
Michael E
ME
Dunbar-Jacob
Jacqueline
J
D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000523:psychology*; D011320:Primary Health Care; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D000928:Antidepressive Agents