Compliance with psychotropic medication treatment among adolescents living in youth care centres

Abstract

The objective of this study is to study the factors associated with attitudes towards psychotropic medications and treatment compliance behaviours among adolescents living in youth care centres. One hundred fifty-one adolescents from youth care centres in five administrative regions of Québec who were receiving at least one psychotropic medication participated in the study. The adolescents, as well as their tutor youth workers, answered questionnaires rating attitudes towards medications, compliance behaviours, coping strategies, symptoms and difficulties, medications prescribed, readiness to change, and the therapeutic relationship with the prescriber. Results show that boys and girls differ significantly with regard to attitudes and behaviours towards psychotropic medication. Among girls, anxiety perceived by the tutor youth worker is the only variable correlated with attitudes towards medications and with compliance behaviours. Among boys, coping strategies type, use of mood stabilizers, a trustworthy relationship with the prescriber, and the nature of the behavioural problems perceived by the tutor youth worker are associated with attitudes towards medications; readiness to change and explicit aggressive behaviours are associated with compliance behaviours. This is an indication that attitudes towards psychotropic medications are linked to gender differences. The practical application from this study is to promise an improved management of young people taking psychotropic medication. Intervention must be tailored to the needs of the individual adolescent and take account of gender differences.