Relationship between Family Caregivers' Attitudes toward Mental Illness and Psychotropic Medications, and Patients' Adherence to Medication Regimen

Medication nonadherence is a particular challenge in psychiatric nursing practice.
Enhancing adherence should involve not only assessing patients' attitudes toward medication,
but also their family caregivers' attitudes toward mental illness and its medication regimens.
Objective: This study aimed to elicit family caregivers' attitudes toward mental illness and
psychotropic medications, assess the degree of outpatients' adherence to psychotropic
medications regimen, and investigate the relationship between caregivers' attitudes, and
patients' adherence. Setting: The study was conducted in the outpatient clinic of El-
Maamoura Hospital for Psychiatric Medicine, Alexandria. Subjects: They comprised 150
family caregivers and 150 of outpatients with psychotic disorders. Tools: Four tools were
used to collect the data; a Socio-Demographic, Clinical and Caregiving-Related Data
Structured Interview Schedule, Family Attitude toward Mental Illness (FAMI) Scale, Family
Attitude toward Psychotropic Medications (FAPM) Scale, and Adherence to Psychotropic
Medications Structured Interview Schedule. Results: It was revealed that the majority of
caregivers hold positive attitude towards mental illness, most of them demonstrated positive
attitude towards psychotropics, and around two thirds of outpatients were adherents to the
medication regimen. Statistically significant relationships were evident between caregivers’
attitude toward both mental illness and its medications, and patient's adherence. Conclusion:
Patients' adherence to medication regimen is significantly related to their family caregivers'
attitudes toward mental illness and its medications. Recommendations: Incorporating the
assessment of family caregivers' attitudes toward mental illness and medications into the
routine psychiatric nursing practice, and involving family caregivers while implementing
adherence-enhancing interventions are essential.