A review of Motivational Interviewing to enhance adherence to antipsychotic medication in patients with schizophrenia: Evidence and recommendations

Abstract

Background: Non-adherence with treatment is a serious concern for many behavioral health problems, and nowhere is this issue more acute than among patients with schizophrenia who are non-adherent to antipsychotic medications.

Aims: Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a psychotherapeutic intervention which has been demonstrated to be effective at increasing adherence to behavioral health regimens. The aim of this article was to review the empirical literature on the use of MI to increase adherence to antipsychotics among patients with schizophrenia.

Method: A literature review utilizing PubMed and PsycINFO from 1965 to 2006 was conducted.

Results: The literature review produced only five empirical studies which utilized MI to increase antipsychotic adherence. Two studies found an increase in antipsychotic adherence following the MI-based intervention, while the other three found no change in adherence.

Conclusions: The small sample of studies and the methodological limitations of each made it difficult to draw any meaningful conclusions. Suggestions to address these methodological issues in future research are provided.

Keywords:

• Motivational Interviewing
• antipsychotics
• adherence