Abstract
ProblemAlthough pharmacotherapy is an effective treatment for many psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents, medication adherence rates among children are low. This study clarifies factors affecting children's medication adherence and the role of parental involvement.MethodPatients aged 7–17 years with a history of psychotropic medication treatment and their mothers were included in this study. Each mother and child completed self‐administered questionnaires. Thirty mother–child pairs who fully completed the questionnaires were included in the analysis.ResultsMedication adherence was greater in children and mothers when mothers felt that “children's symptoms improved with treatment and medication.” Medication adherence in children and mothers significantly correlated with the child's reported trust in their parent.ConclusionsThe results suggest the need for psychosocial support that considers the influence of mothers on medication adherence in children treated in child psychiatry departments.
Highlights
BPrioomfeessdoicra, lDSecpieanrtcmese,nNtaogfaNsaekuir,oJpaspyacnhiatry; Hiroko Hanada, RN, PhD, is Professor, Department of Nursing, Nagasaki University Graduate School of BHioemleedincalRScaiemncsesb, Noatgtaosamki, Japan Lisa Collier Farmer
Children and adolescents seem to recognize the importance of psychotropic medications, and medication adherence in child and adolescent psychiatry should be assessed in terms of willingness
We examined the factors affecting medication adherence among both mothers and their children in child and adolescent psychiatry departments as well as the associations between maternal and child medication adherence
Summary
The factors influencing children’s medication adherence include the following: (a) presence of comorbidity (e.g., ADHD with depression, ADHD with anxiety disorder, and schizophrenia with depression increase adherence; ADHD with oppositional disorder or borderline personality disorder decrease adherence); (b) particular prescriptions and dosages; (c) adverse reactions to medications; (d) social stigma about psychiatric treatment or psychotropic medication; and (e) children’s understanding of the reasons for taking medication (Charach & Gajaria, 2008; Hamrin et al, 2010; Lloyd et al, 1998) Further interacting with these factors to affect adherence are family issues, each child’s individual issues, and the nature of specific treatments. Previous studies have revealed that parental awareness of treatment risks and benefits is closely related to children’s adherence (Hoza, Johnston, Pillow, & Ascough, 2006) Both children’s knowledge about the reasons for taking medication and their parents’ views on medications affect the continued use of medications (Thorell & Dahlström, 2009). We examined the factors affecting medication adherence among both mothers and their children in child and adolescent psychiatry departments as well as the associations between maternal and child medication adherence
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