Treatment compliance of outpatients with schizophrenia: patient's attitudes, demographic, clinical and therapeutic variables.
OBJECTIVE
To compare patient's attitudes, demographic, clinical characteristics, psychopathology, insight and type of antipsychotic therapy in compliant and non-compliant outpatients with schizophrenia; to explore correlations between patient's attitudes and related variables.


METHODS
A sample of 44 outpatients of both genders (> 60 years), with a diagnosis of ICD-10 Schizophrenia (F20) was included into the study. All the patients were on maintenance treatment with different classes of antipsychotics (oral, depot or both), for at least 6 months from the latest hospitalisation. The exclusion criteria were determined. The BPRS and the PANSS were used to assess psychopathology and insight (G12 item). The self-report questionnaire MARS was used to assess patient's attitudes.


RESULTS
Compliant patients (N=37) showed the following significant differences compared to non-compliant patients (N=7): higher the MARS (p<0.001), lower the PANSS (Positive sub score) (p<0.01) G12 scores (p<0.01) (the Student t test) and percentage of patients with previous non-compliance (p<0.05) (chi2 test). Considerable correlation between the MARS and the BPRS (p<0.001), the PANSS (Positive, General psychopathology) (p<0.001; p<0.01), G12 scores (p<0.05) (negative) and current compliance (p<0.001) was also found (The Spearman's correlation).


CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest that special attention should be paid to attitudes, severity of psychopathology, insight and history of non-compliance in compliance evaluation of outpatients with schizophrenia.
Stanković
Zana
Z
Institute of Psychiatry, Clinical Centre of Serbia, Serbia. zanas@arkayu.net
Britvić
Dubravka
D
Vuković
Olivera
O
Ille
Tatjana
T
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D003024:Clozapine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D005260:Female; D005476:Fluphenazine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D006220:Haloperidol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008134:Long-Term Care; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000523:psychology*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D018967:Risperidone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D015022:Yugoslavia
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; C011825:fluphenazine depot; D003024:Clozapine; D006220:Haloperidol; D018967:Risperidone; D005476:Fluphenazine