title: Explaining attitudes and adherence to antipsychotic medication: the development of a process model.
abstract: Although nonadherence to antipsychotic medication poses a threat to outcome of medical treatment, the processes preceding the intake behavior have not been investigated sufficiently. This study tests a process model of medication adherence derived from the Health Belief Model which is based on cost-benefit considerations. The model includes an extensive set of potential predictors for medication attitudes and uses these attitudes as a predictor for medication adherence. We conducted an online study of 84 participants with a self-reported psychotic disorder and performed a path analysis. More insight into the need for treatment, a higher attribution of the symptoms to a mental disorder, experience of less negative side effects, presence of biological causal beliefs, and less endorsement of psychological causal beliefs were significant predictors of more positive attitudes towards medication. The results largely supported the postulated process model. Mental health professionals should consider attitudes towards medication and the identified predictors when they address adherence problems with the patient in a shared and informed decision process.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Division of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Philipps-Universität Marburg, 35032 Marburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-7354-7424
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wiesjahn
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Division of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Philipps-Universität Marburg, 35032 Marburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Esther
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-7520-2668
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Division of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Philipps-Universität Marburg, 35032 Marburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Fabian
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-2502-8582
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lamster
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Division of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Philipps-Universität Marburg, 35032 Marburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Winfried
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Rief
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychology, Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Universität Hamburg, 20146 Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Tania M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Lincoln