Perspectives on reasons for non-adherence to medication in persons with schizophrenia in Ethiopia: a qualitative study of patients, caregivers and health workers

Abstract

BackgroundLevels of non-adherence to antipsychotic medication in persons with schizophrenia in rural African settings have been shown to be comparable to those found in high-income countries. Improved understanding of the underlying reasons will help to inform intervention strategies relevant to the context.MethodsA qualitative study was conducted among persons with schizophrenia (n = 24), their caregivers (n = 19), research field workers (n = 7) and health workers (n = 1) involved in the ongoing population-based cohort study, ‘The Butajira Study on Course and Outcome of Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder’, based in rural Ethiopia. Six focus group discussions and 9 in-depth interviews were conducted to elicit perspectives on non-adherence to antipsychotic medication. Thematic analysis was used to identify prominent perspectives.ResultsPredominant reasons for non-adherence specific to a low-income country setting included inadequate availability of food to counter appetite stimulation and the perceived strength of antipsychotic medications. The vital role of the family or other social support in the absence of a statutory social safety net was emphasised. Expectations of cure, rather than need for continuing care, were reported to contribute to non-adherence in the longer-term.Many of the factors associated with non-adherence in high-income countries were also considered important in Ethiopia, including lack of insight, failure to improve with treatment, medication side effects, substance abuse, stigma and dissatisfaction with the attitude of the care provider.ConclusionThis study identifies additional barriers to medication adherence faced by persons with schizophrenia in Ethiopia compared to those in high-income countries. In this era of scaling up of mental health care, greater attention to provision of social and financial assistance will potentially improve adherence and thereby enable patients to benefit more fully from medication.

Violence and violent victimization in people with severe mental illness in a rural low-income country setting: A comparative cross-sectional community study

“…Non-adherence to medication was associated with heightened risk of violent victimization in our study. Although people with SMI in our study did not have to pay for antipsychotic medication, the inaccessibility of centralized psychiatric services and influence of poverty meant that non-adherence was commonplace and likely to be associated with poorly controlled symptoms (Teferra et al, 2013). A fourth possible explanation relates to stigma.…”

Long-term clinical course and outcome of schizophrenia in rural Ethiopia: 10-year follow-up of a population-based cohort

“…The concept of tolerability might need a different approach and more careful analysis. In an earlier medication non-adherence study from the same population, factors such as poverty and family support were the most important reasons for non-compliance compared to tolerability indicating that there are more salient factors that might need further study (Teferra et al, 2013). Overall, medications in our cohort were well tolerated, with a relatively low rate of tardive dyskinesia (4.2%).…”

Views on Antipsychotic Medication in Jordan: From the People Diagnosed with Schizophrenia Perspectives

“…Prior studies that have noted the significant predictors of medication compliance were insight level of schizophrenia. This view is supported in prior explorative qualitative studies of purposively selected PDwS, where it was found that a myth associated with mental illness may have interfered with PDwS taking their prescribed medication [11].…”