Characteristics of clients with schizophrenia who express certainty or uncertainty about continuing treatment with depot neuroleptic medication

Abstract

In this exploratory study, the factors corresponding to clients' certainty or uncertainty in continuing with depot neuroleptic medication for schizophrenia were examined. Ninety-four participants from a tertiary care schizophrenia clinic received an educational intervention aid containing information about treatment risks and benefits and were interviewed to elicit their levels of decisional conflict, self-efficacy, and emotional support, as well as expectations of risks and benefits of treatment. Eighty-seven percent of participants decided to continue treatment. Clients who expressed uncertainty (10%) about continuing with treatment had higher levels of decisional conflict (p = .000), lower levels of decision self-efficacy (p = .037) and decision emotional control (p = .003), lower expectations of hospitalization if treatment was stopped (p = .04) as well as lower expectations of benefits and higher expectations of side effects (p = .04), if treatment continued. In addition, reasons identified by participants for certainty or uncertainty were reported. The research may be useful in increasing the awareness of clinicians about the factors contributing to treatment decision making by clients diagnosed with schizophrenia and ultimately improve collaborative decision making.