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Clinical Trial
. 2003 Oct 11;327(7419):834.
doi: 10.1136/bmj.327.7419.834.

Compliance therapy: a randomised controlled trial in schizophrenia

Colin O'Donnell  1 , Gary Donohoe, Louise Sharkey, Nicholas Owens, Maria Migone, Raewynn Harries, Anthony Kinsella, Conall Larkin, Eadbhard O'Callaghan
Affiliations
Clinical Trial

Compliance therapy: a randomised controlled trial in schizophrenia

Colin O'Donnell et al. BMJ. .

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of "compliance therapy" for improving adherence to prescribed drug treatment among patients with schizophrenia.

Design: Randomised controlled trial.

Setting: Urban catchment area psychiatric service.

Participants: 94 consecutive admissions of patients with schizophrenia, 56 agreed to participate.

Intervention: Compliance therapy and non-specific counselling, each consisting of 5 sessions lasting 30-60 minutes.

Main outcome measures: Compliance with drug treatment at one year; attitudes to treatment, symptomatology, insight, and quality of life at one year; length of "survival" in the community, bed days, and rehospitalisation rates at two years.

Results: Compliance therapy did not confer a major advantage over non-specific therapy in improving compliance at one year (43% (12/28) v 54% (15/28), difference -11% (95% confidence interval -37% to 15%) or in any of the secondary outcome measures-symptomatology, attitudes to treatment, insight, global assessment of functioning, and quality of life.

Conclusion: Compliance therapy may not be of benefit to patients with schizophrenia. Attitudes to treatment at baseline predicted adherence one year later and may be a clinically useful tool.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Recruitment of participants and their progress through the trial
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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