title: Medication adherence in Greek hemodialysis patients: the contribution of depression and health cognitions.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Several studies have shown that non-adherence is a common and increasing problem among individuals with chronic illnesses, including hemodialysis patients.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The present study aimed to investigate the influence of depression and health cognitions on medication adherence among patients undergoing hemodialysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  A sample of 168 participants was recruited from six general hospitals in the broader area of Athens, consisting of patients undergoing in-center hemodialysis. Measurements were conducted with the following instruments: the Medication Adherence Rating Scale, the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), and the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control (MHLC) scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results indicated that medication adherence was associated positively with the dimensions of internal and doctor-attributed health locus of control, measured by the MHLC. It was also related negatively to depression, measured by the CES-D.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study demonstrates the importance of depression in understanding the medication adherence of hemodialysis patients, as well as the contribution of heath cognitions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Panteion University, Eratous 12, Athens, Greece. theofi@otenet.gr
authors.forename: Paraskevi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Theofilou
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003071:Cognition; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006115:Greece; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008297:Male; D055118:Medication Adherence / Q000523:psychology*; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000523:psychology*; D051436:Renal Insufficiency, Chronic / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric