Treatment burden, not health risk attitude associated with adherence in patients with mental illness in South India

Abstract

Background: Attitude towards health risks and treatment burden may mediate treatment adherence in therapeutic care. There is a paucity of study examining the levels and relationships of these variables in patients with mental illness. Objective: This study was conducted to know the relationships of health risk attitude & treatment burden and medication adherence in patients with mental illness. Settings and design: Cross-sectional, Hospital-based study. Methods and material: One hundred seventy consecutive participants in remission of mental illness were recruited. The patient's details were assessed with Sociodemographic proforma while attitude towards health risk was assessed with Health-Risk Attitude Scale (HRAS). To evaluate the burden of treatment, the Treatment Burden Questionnaire (TBQ) was used while medication adherence was rated with the Medication Adherence Rating Scale (MARS). Statistical analysis used: Descriptive statistics, KruskaleWallis H, Linear regression analysis. Results: Mean score on MARS was 4.9 (SD ± 1.7) while HRAS and TBQ were 62.2 (SD ± 8.6) and 44.2 (SD ± 23). On linear regression analysis scores of TBQ were statistically significant positively linked to HRAS score (R2 ¼ .35, df ¼ 1, F ¼ 94.2, p ¼ 0.001), While Scores on MARS were statistically significant negatively linked TBQ and HRAS score (R2 ¼ .53, df ¼ 2, F ¼ 97.1, p ¼ 001). Conclusions: Health risk aversion and treatment burden may upraise in mentally ill, and linked to poor medication adherence.