title: Explaining pharmacophobia and pharmacophilia in psychiatric patients: relationship with treatment adherence.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study is to assess psychiatric patient attitudes towards psychotropic medication and their association with adherence, as well as to identify the factors that influence these attitudes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nine hundred and forty nine consecutive psychiatric outpatients categorized as "pharmacophobic" or "pharmacophilic" according to the Drug Attitude Inventory were compared with regard to adherence to prescribed treatment, socio-demographic variables, clinical characteristics, health locus of control, self-efficacy, and psychological reactance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventy three per cent of psychiatric outpatients showed a "pharmacophilic" attitude and 15.5% "pharmacophobic" one. Patients' attitudes toward prescribed drug treatment were clearly related to self-reported treatment adherence. The pharmacophobic group registered significant worse adherence than the pharmacophilic patients. Psychiatric patients' attitudes to drugs were mediated by external health locus of control, cognitive psychological reactance, and self-efficacy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The encouragement of psychiatric patients' treatment adherence needs to include lack of coercion during prescription, a positive relationship with the prescriber, verbal persuasion, information containing vicarious experience, and the involvement of the patient in treatment decisions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Dermatology and Psychiatry, University of La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Canary Islands, Spain.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: De Las Cuevas
authors.affiliation: Department of Personality, Assessment and Psychological Treatments, University of La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Canary Islands, Spain.
authors.forename: Wenceslao
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Peñate
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D055118:Medication Adherence / Q000523:psychology*; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy; D028642:Persons with Psychiatric Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D010045:Outpatients; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D011619:Psychotropic Drugs
keywords: adherence; drug attitude; health locus of control; psychiatry outpatients