Medication Adherence in Mental Health

About 60% of people suffering from severe mental health disorders have experienced high rates of disability, rehospitalisation, and suicide due to medication non-adherence.

Medication non-adherence is a global challenge for psychiatry.

It directly impacts disease course, relapse, future recovery, cost of healthcare, and overall outcomes. If you or your loved one has a mental disorder, you must stick to the treatment plan to take control of life.

Want to know about the role of adherence in mental health? This article focuses on the importance of adherence in mental health and ways to enhance it.

Medication Adherence and Its Importance in Mental Health

Medication adherence describes the medication-taking behaviour of a patient that complies with the recommendation from healthcare providers.

According to research, the symptoms of medical illness arise from a chemical imbalance in the brain cells.

Medications work by normalising the chemical imbalance to reduce symptoms’ severity or relieve them completely. It plays a role in improving concentration, mood, and subsequently the ability to achieve personal goals.

Taking medications regularly as prescribed prevents relapses and hospital stays, and improves the quality of life in psychiatry patients. So, patients suffering from mental disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depressive disorder should keep taking their medication continuously over the long term to maintain its effectiveness.

Medication Adherence Challenges in Mental Health

Patients with mental disorders often find it hard to adhere to a medication plan. It could be due to multiple factors, such as:

Treatment effects
Duration of treatment
Patient beliefs
Lack of education about mental illness
General attitudes toward medications
Financial and emotional support from family members
Side effects
Polypharmacy

How Can You Enhance Medication Adherence?

Here’s how you can enhance medication adherence to keep your mental health disorder symptoms in control:

Education
- Talk honestly with your doctor if you feel overwhelmed or confused about starting your medication regimen. Discuss your concerns and learn about your condition and the role of medication in treating it. Getting information will help you in staying compliant with your regimen.
- Also, ask your doctor about any possible side effects. Note down your information if it is hard for you to remember it.
Dose administration aid
- Get a dose administration aid set up, that is, a pill organiser that clearly labels the date and time at which the medicine is to be taken. It will help you take the right medication at the right time, improving medication adherence.
Communicate with others who have similar conditions
- Join self-help groups and talk with others who have similar mental health conditions. Try to learn from their experience. Ask them how they are dealing with this condition and how the medication works for them. This should have a positive effect and encourage you to take medicine.

Stay on Top of Your Medication Regimen with SimpleDose

Suffering from a mental health disorder can be challenging. You have to take multiple medications every day for the long term to keep your symptoms in control which can lead to frustration. SimpleDose can help – being a reliable PBS-certified pharmacy, SimpleDose aims to ease patients’ adherence to their medication plan. They supply 28 days of medicine, sorted in individual and easy-to-open packets with detailed instructions. Their packaging is designed to help chronic patients cope with complex medication schedules.