ADHERENCE TO PHARMACOLOGICAL TREATMENT IN PATIENTS WITH MENTAL DISORDER: A CROSS-SECTIONAL ANALYSIS IN A UNIVERSITY PSYCHIATRIC OUTPATIENT CLINIC
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.66104/jappr293Keywords:
Medication use; Medication adherence; Mental health; Health care.Abstract
The therapeutic approach used in the care of individuals with mental disorders includes several multidisciplinary interventions, among which pharmacological therapy stands out, with proven effectiveness when properly guided and indicated. However, one of the frequent problems encountered in clinical practice is irregular medication use or even its discontinuation. Thus, non-adherence to the therapeutic plan is associated with a worsening prognosis and functional impairment in the quality of life of individuals with mental disorders. Therefore, the objective was to evaluate adherence to pharmacological treatment in patients with mental disorders treated at the Psychiatry outpatient clinic of the University Hospital of the Federal University of Piauí (HU-UFPI). This is a cross-sectional, observational, and descriptive study that used data from 109 individuals of both sexes treated at HU-UFPI, in the city of Teresina, PI. Demographic, socioeconomic, clinical, and pharmacotherapeutic data were collected, and an adapted questionnaire was applied to assess adherence to pharmacological treatment. Of the 109 individuals interviewed, 68.8% were female and 31.2% were male, with a mean age of 45.6 years. Most were of mixed race (71.6%), had completed high school (43.1%), and had an income of up to one minimum wage (44.0%). Regarding adherence to pharmacological treatment, among non-adherent individuals, 95.0% reported difficulty obtaining medications, and 85.0% indicated lack of medication in the primary healthcare system as one of the reasons for this difficulty. Individuals with difficulty obtaining medication had an 89% lower chance of adherence, and those affected by the lack of medication in the healthcare system had a 91% lower chance. An adherence rate of 81.7% to pharmacological treatment was observed in the studied population, and difficulties in access and the unavailability of medications in the primary healthcare system contributed to non-adherence.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Felipe Santana Rodrigues , Marilene Magalhães de Brito, Thiago dos Santos Araujo, Francivan Feitosa da Rocha , André Felipe Alves Brito, Manoel Pereira de Araujo Filho, Gustavo Louçana da Costa Araújo Alves , Leonel Veloso Saraiva
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