Correlations of attitudes toward antipsychotic drugs with insight and objective psychopathology in schizophrenia.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this cross-sectional study was to examine the relationships between attitudes toward antipsychotics, insight, and other clinical variables in stable schizophrenia.


METHODS
Fifty Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision-(DSM-IV-TR)-diagnosed schizophrenic outpatients were evaluated through a psychiatric assessment. Drug attitudes were measured using the Drug Attitude Inventory and insight using the Scale for the Assessment of Unawareness of Mental Disorder. Differences between patients taking first- or second-generation antipsychotics were investigated.


RESULTS
Lack of insight, more severe scores on the positive and general psychopathology subscales of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), and later age at onset of schizophrenia correlated with worse global medication attitude. The multiple regression analysis revealed that unawareness of the need of treatment predicted poorer drug global attitude (R(2) = 0.312). Patients taking second-generation antipsychotics showed lower negative attitudes and better global drug attitudes than patients treated with neuroleptics.


CONCLUSIONS
The impact of the awareness of the need for treatment on global medication attitude needs to be a main focus of interventions targeting compliance.
Rocca
Paola
P
Department of Neuroscience, Psychiatric Section, University of Turin, Via Cherasco 11, 10126 Turin, Italy. paola.rocca@unito.it
Crivelli
Barbara
B
Marino
Federica
F
Mongini
Tullia
T
Portaleone
Francesca
F
Bogetto
Filippo
F
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012919:Social Behavior
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents