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Beliefs and attitudes about medications in patients with psychosis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 August 2024

K. Skaare-Fatland ,
M. Hermann ,
J. Assmus ,
M. Hartveit ,
T. Ruud ,
R. Horne ,
R. Drake ,
K. Drivenes  and
E. Biringer
K. Skaare-Fatland*
Affiliation:
1Helse Fonna Health Trust, Haugesund
M. Hermann
Affiliation:
2Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Stord
J. Assmus
Affiliation:
3Helse Bergen Health Trust
M. Hartveit
Affiliation:
1Helse Fonna Health Trust, Haugesund 4University of Bergen, Bergen
T. Ruud
Affiliation:
5University of Oslo, Oslo 6Akershus University Hospital Trust, Lørenskog, Norway
R. Horne
Affiliation:
7UCL School of Pharmacy, University College London, London, United Kingdom
R. Drake
Affiliation:
8Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, United States
K. Drivenes
Affiliation:
9Directorate of e-health, Oslo, Norway
E. Biringer
Affiliation:
1Helse Fonna Health Trust, Haugesund
*
*Corresponding author.

Abstract

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Introduction

Patients’ beliefs and attitudes about medications play a role in whether they adhere to their medications or not. Knowledge on how beliefs and attitudes about medications can be influenced is therefore important.

Objectives

The current study aimed to assess whether patients’ perceived support from their therapists regarding use of medications was associated with their beliefs and attitudes about medications. Because non-adherence in patients with psychosis frequently results in relapses and emergencies, this knowledge may be very useful for therapists and patients.

Methods

This cross-sectional study included 310 patients diagnosed with psychosis from 31 clinical units in Norwegian mental health specialist care. We assessed beliefs about medications using the Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire (BMQ). BMQ-specific consists of two subscales, BMQ-necessity and BMQ-concerns. Higher score on the necessity subscale indicates stronger beliefs in the necessity of taking the medicine. Higher score on the concern subscale indicates stronger concerns about taking the medicine. We used a newly developed self-report questionnaire, MedSupport, to assess the patients’ perceived support from therapists in dealing with their medications. Higher score on the MedSupport means that the patient experienced more support with decisions related to medications. Linear mixed effect models were used to investigate possible associations of sociodemographic factors, clinical factors and patients’ perceptions of medication support with BMQ.

Results

Patients’ perceptions of medication support from therapists were positively associated with positive beliefs towards medications, β = 0.20, 95% CI [0.04 to 0.35], p=0.012, and negatively associated with concerns about taking the medications, β = -0.31, 95% CI [-0.44 to -0.17], p < 0.001, when other relevant variables were taken into consideration.

Conclusions

The present study shows that therapists may affect patients’ beliefs and concerns about medications. Consequently, medication support may lead to improved adherence to medications prescribed.

Disclosure of Interest

None Declared

Type
Abstract
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 67 , Special Issue S1: Abstracts of the 32nd European Congress of Psychiatry , April 2024 , pp. S390
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of European Psychiatric Association
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