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. 2020 Feb 10:26:1437.
doi: 10.4102/sajpsychiatry.v26i0.1437. eCollection 2020.

Psycho-demographic and clinical predictors of medication adherence in patients with bipolar I disorder in a university hospital in Egypt

Tarek A Okasha  1 , Doaa N Radwan  1 , Hussien Elkholy  1 , Heba M F M Hendawy  1 , Eman M M E Shourab  1 , Ramy R A Teama  1 , Ahmed S Abdelgawad  2
Affiliations

Psycho-demographic and clinical predictors of medication adherence in patients with bipolar I disorder in a university hospital in Egypt

Tarek A Okasha et al. S Afr J Psychiatr. .

Abstract

Background: Poor adherence to treatment is one of the main challenges to symptom control and preventing recurrence in bipolar disorder (BD). Numerous studies have established an association between patients' poor adherence and an increased risk of recurrence, relapse of the symptoms and admission to hospital.

Aim: To study the socio-demographic and clinical factors associated with medication nonadherence in patients with BD who were admitted to the hospital.

Setting: The study was conducted at the Institute of Psychiatry, Ain Shams University.

Methods: A 1-year longitudinal prospective study of 110 patients, aged 18-60 years, with BD-I. Young Mania Rating Scale, Clinical Global Impression, Global Assessment of Functioning, Sheehan Disability Scale and Insight and Treatment Attitude Questionnaire were applied before and 6 months after discharge. Adherence was measured using the Morisky 8-Item Medication Adherence Scale. Sociodemographic data and level of functioning were studied in relation to adherence.

Results: Higher adherence was noticed in female, married and older patients and those with a higher level of education. However, low adherence was more common in male, non-married and less educated patients. Follow-up after 6 months revealed that the high adherence group scored the lowest in terms of disability. Meanwhile, the low adherence group scored the highest scores in disability.

Conclusion: Several socio-demographic and clinical variables were found to be associated with a low adherence rate to the prescribed medication in patients with BD-I. Age and impaired insight were found to be significant predictive factors for non-adherence.

Keywords: adherence; bipolar disorder; illness; insight; medication; severity.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Pie chart of medication adherence assessment 6 months after discharge using Morisky 8-Item Medication Adherence Scale.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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