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