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The Relationship Between Medication Noncompliance and Cognitive Function in Patients With Schizophrenia

Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, 1701 Uppergate Dr., #409, Atlanta, GA 30322

Sarah K. Schwartz, MSW

Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia

BACKGROUND:The relatively high rate of medication noncompliance in patients with schizophrenia may be in part the result of cognitive impairments frequently associated with the disorder.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine whether baseline performance on specific neurocognitive tests predicts a patient's level of medication compliance. The question of whether improvement on these same tests after 3 months of antipsychotic treatment would correlate with medication compliance was also examined in this study.

DESCRIPTVE CORRELATIONAL DESIGN: Patients' medication compliance (on a percentage basis) was correlated with their baseline and 3-month posttreatment scores on four neurocognitive tests.

RESULTS: A statistically significant relationship exists between medication compliance and patients'performance on tests of attention and immediate visual recall

CONCLUSION: The results of this study support the implementation of interventions that ameliorate specific neurocognitive deficits that, in turn may facilitate improved medication compliance.

Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association, Vol. 5, No. 2, S2-S8 (1999)
DOI: 10.1177/107839039900500210


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