title: Adherence therapy versus routine psychiatric care for people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders: a randomised controlled trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Current practice guidelines for schizophrenia care recommend that antipsychotic medication is essential for patients' long-term maintenance treatment but their non-adherence to this medication is still a main obstacle to relapse prevention. This study evaluated the effects of a motivational-interviewing-based adherence therapy for people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders.
  
  
  METHODS
  This randomised controlled trial was conducted with 134 outpatients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders; 67 of them received a six-session adherence therapy (in addition to usual care) and 67 received usual psychiatric care alone. Participants' outcome measures included symptom severity, medication adherence, hospitalisation rates, insight into illness/treatment, and functioning.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The adherence therapy group reported significantly greater improvements in symptom severity (p < 0.003), insight into illness/treatment (p < 0.001), functioning (p < 0.005), duration of re-hospitalisations (p < 0.005), and medication adherence (p < 0.005) over 18 months follow-up, when compared with usual care alone.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Motivational-interviewing-based adherence therapy can be an effective approach to treatment for people with early stage of schizophrenia who poorly adhere to medication regimen.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01780116, registration date January 29, 2013.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong, S.A.R., China. wai.tong.chien@polyu.edu.hk.
authors.forename: Wai Tong
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Chien
authors.affiliation: Castle Peak Hospital, Tuen Mun, New Territories, Hong Kong, S.A.R., China.
authors.forename: Jolene
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mui
authors.affiliation: Hamad Medical Corporation, P.O. Box 3050, Doha, Qatar.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gray
authors.affiliation: Castle Peak Hospital, Tuen Mun, New Territories, Hong Kong, S.A.R., China.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cheung
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D062405:Motivational Interviewing / Q000379:methods*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000379:methods; D011615:Psychotherapy, Group / Q000379:methods; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D016903:Drug Monitoring
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents