title: Adherence to medication and quality of life in people with schizophrenia: results of a European multicenter study.
abstract: Quality of life is often severely impaired in people with schizophrenia, and adherence to antipsychotic medication has been consistently found to be low in this population. Although there is a considerable amount of evidence on these two variables in schizophrenia research, there is only limited knowledge on how they relate to one another. The aim of this study is to develop a meaningful model of the relationship between quality of life and adherence that includes mediating variables. A multicenter randomized controlled trial recruited 409 subjects in London, Verona, Amsterdam, and Leipzig. Baseline interviews obtained data on adherence, quality of life, and other variables. We used graphical modeling to investigate the relationships between the variables. No direct relation could be discerned between subjective quality of life and adherence to medication. Mediating variables, most importantly symptomatic impairment, global functioning, and medication side effects, were identified by the model. It can be concluded that, when aiming at the improvement of quality of life in people with schizophrenia, variables other than adherence, i.e., symptomatic impairment, global functioning, and medication side effects, should be targeted.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry II, Ulm University, Günzburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Bernd
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Puschner
authors.forename: Anja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Born
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Giessler
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Giebler
authors.forename: Hedda
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Helm
authors.forename: Morven
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Leese
authors.forename: Jonathan P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Bindman
authors.forename: Richard J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Gray
authors.forename: Aart
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schene
authors.forename: Martijn
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kikkert
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Burti
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Marrella
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Becker
mesh_terms: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001364:Awareness; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D010349:Patient Compliance; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011788:Quality of Life; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents