Journal of Depression and Anxiety
Open Access

Abstract

Treatment and Disease Related Factors Affecting Non-adherence among Patients on Long Term Therapy of Antidepressants

Alekhya P, Sriharsha M, Priya Darsini T, Siva Kumar Reddy, Venkata Ramudu R, Shivanandh B and Hrushikesh Reddy Y

Introduction: Depression is a term used to describe a health problem in which mood pattern will be affected. Clinical depression is more severe and the symptoms can continue for weeks, months, and even years in some cases if it is not treated and it does interfere with our ability to function and it also can leads to suicide at its worst. Although clinical guidelines recommend antidepressants be continued for at least 6 months after symptom remission, approximately one third of patients discontinue antidepressants within the first month of treatment, and 44% discontinue them by the third month of treatment. Adherence to antidepressants is a stimulating problem in the management of patients with depression. Various factors such as nature and duration of therapy, disease characteristics, medication side-effects, cost of treatment, characteristics of health service facilities, the relation among the physician and patient, patient characteristics such as socioeconomic factors, patient’s perspective about the illness and treatment have been reported to influence adherence. Aim and Objectives: To study the treatment and disease factors that influence compliance to the treatment of depression. Materials and Methods: The present Cross sectional study was carried out in the department of General Medicine (IP) of Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Kadapa, AP, A total of 103 subjects were participated in the study during 6 months). Results: Among the 103 psychiatric patients 31 patients were adherent and 72 patients were non adherent. In our study non-adherence was more in who had used antidepressants previously (57.28%), Poly pharmacy (52.42%) and repercussion of disease (50.48%). Conclusion: The overall nonadherence rate is high in the study. The present study clearly suggests that the barriers of non-adherence should be prevented to achieve better outcome for a disease.