Enhancing medication adherence in patients with bipolar disorder
Version 2 2024-05-30, 15:38Version 2 2024-05-30, 15:38
Version 1 2014-10-28, 09:20Version 1 2014-10-28, 09:20
journal contribution
posted on 2024-05-30, 15:38 authored by Lesley BerkLesley Berk, KT Hallam, F Colom, E Vieta, M Hasty, C Macneil, Michael BerkMichael BerkAbstractObjectivesMedication adherence contributes to the efficacy‐effectiveness gap of treatment in patients with bipolar disorder. This paper aims to examine the challenges involved in improving medication adherence in bipolar disorder, and to extract some suggestions for future directions from the core psychosocial studies that have targeted adherence as a primary or secondary outcome.MethodsA search was conducted for articles that focused on medication adherence in bipolar disorder, with emphasis on publications from 1996 to 2008 using Medline, Web of Science, CINAHL PLUS, and PsychINFO. The following key words were used: adherence, compliance, alliance, adherence assessment, adherence measurement, risk factors, psychosocial interventions, and psycho‐education.ResultsThere are a number of challenges to understanding non‐adherence including the difficulty in defining and measuring it and the various risk factors that need to be considered when aiming to enhance adherence. Nevertheless, the importance of addressing adherence is evidenced by the connection between adherence problems and poor outcome. Despite these challenges, a number of small psychosocial studies targeting adherence as a primary outcome point to the potential usefulness of psycho‐education aimed at improving knowledge, attitudes, and adherence behavior, but more large scale randomized controlled trials are needed in this area. Evidence of improved outcomes from larger randomized controlled trials of psychosocial interventions that target medication adherence as a secondary outcome suggests that tackling other factors besides medication adherence may also be an advantage. While some of these larger studies demonstrate an improvement in medication adherence, the translation of these interventions into real life settings may not always be practical. A person centered approach that considers risk factors for non‐adherence and barriers to other health behaviors may assist with the development of more targeted briefer interventions. Integral to improving medication adherence is the delivery of psycho‐education, and attention needs to be paid to the implementation, and timing of psycho‐education. Progress in the understanding of how medicines work may add to the credibility of psycho‐education in the future.ConclusionsEnhancement of treatment adherence in bipolar patients is a necessary and promising management component as an adjunct to pharmacotherapy. The current literature on psychosocial interventions that target medication adherence in bipolar disorder points to the possibility of refining the concept of non‐adherence and adapting psycho‐education to the needs of certain subgroups of people with bipolar disorder. Large scale randomized controlled trials of briefer or more condensed interventions are needed that can inform clinical practice. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
History
Journal
Human PsychopharmacologyVolume
25Pagination
1-16Location
EnglandPublisher DOI
ISSN
0885-6222eISSN
1099-1077Language
EnglishNotes
Article first published online 29 Dec. 2009Publication classification
C1.1 Refereed article in a scholarly journalCopyright notice
2009, John Wiley & SonsIssue
1Publisher
WILEYPublication URL
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Science & TechnologySocial SciencesLife Sciences & BiomedicineClinical NeurologyPharmacology & PharmacyPsychiatryPsychologyNeurosciences & Neurologybipolar disorderadherencetreatmentpsychosocial interventionRANDOMIZED CONTROLLED-TRIALIMPROVING TREATMENT ADHERENCEFAMILY-FOCUSED TREATMENTTERM LITHIUM TREATMENTGROUP PSYCHOEDUCATIONANTIPSYCHOTIC MEDICATIONSTREATMENT NONADHERENCETREATMENT ATTITUDESTREATMENT ALLIANCECOGNITIVE THERAPY119999 Medical and Health Sciences not elsewhere classified970111 Expanding Knowledge in the Medical and Health Sciences
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