Non-pharmacological strategies to enhance adherence and continuity of care in schizophrenia

Abstract

Nonadherence is highly prevalent in schizophrenia. It has been estimated that nonadherence rate for prescribed antipsychotic medications is about 50 %. Nonadherence with antipsychotic medication is a major cause of relapse and it is associated with poorer functional outcomes in patients with schizophrenia. After identifying factors that may be contributing to a patient’s adherence, it is important for clinicians to initiate strategies specifically targeted to those problems. Research has increasingly focused on psychosocial and pharmacological interventions to improve outcomes in patients with schizophrenia. Systematic reviews of various psychosocial approaches to enhance adherence to medication in schizophrenia indicate that some approaches have yielded some promising results, but they are still controversial or preliminary. The aim of this chapter is to provide a comprehensive overview of the available data on nonpharmacological strategies designed to improve adherence to medication in schizophrenia. Interventions and strategies proposed and/or tested to enhance adherence to antipsychotic medication are systematically described and discussed.