Schizophrenia: Impact of psychopathology, faith healers and psycho-education on adherence to medications.
BACKGROUND
Many patients suffering from psychosis are nonadherent to their medications. Nonadherence can range from treatment refusal to irregular use or partial change in daily medication doses.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether symptom dimensions, post-discharge care plans and being involved with faith healer affect the adherence to treatment in patients with schizophrenia.


METHODS
A total of 121 patients with schizophrenia were examined 6 weeks post-discharge from the inpatient unit and assessed for full, partial or nonadherence to medication.


RESULTS
There was a significant association between family involvement and partial adherence and between community team involvement post-discharge and full adherence to medications. Psycho-education was a predictor for adherence to medications, persecutory delusions and lack of insight predicted partial adherence, while being involved with faith healers predicted nonadherence.


CONCLUSIONS
Adherence to medications and socio-demographic variables are independent. This study demonstrated that nonadherence or partial adherence to medications is associated with lack of insight and persecutory delusions. Psycho-education could improve the adherence to medication compliances.
College of Medicine, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, UAE.
Karim
K
Abdel Aziz
Behavior Sciences Institute, Al Ain Hospital, Al Ain, UAE.
Mohammed H
MH
Elamin
Psychiatry Department, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt.
Nisrin M
NM
El-Saadouni
Institute of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
Dina Aly
DA
El-Gabry
Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust, Worcester, UK.
Mahmoud
M
Barakat
Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, Abu Dhabi, UAE.
Fatima
F
Alhayyas
College of Medicine, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, UAE hamdy.moselhy@hotmail.com.
Hamdy F
HF
Moselhy
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018912:Arabs / Q000523:psychology; D029221:Faith Healing / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D055118:Medication Adherence / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011599:Psychopathology; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000208:ethnology; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D055815:Young Adult
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents
Schizophrenia; adherence to medications; faith healers; psycho-educations