Search results

(1 - 2 of 2)
THE IMPACT OF EXPLICIT AND IMPLICIT ATTITUDES COMPRISING MENTAL ILLNESS STIGMA ON TAKING PSYCHOTROPIC MEDICATIONS AS PRESCRIBED
Title
THE IMPACT OF EXPLICIT AND IMPLICIT ATTITUDES COMPRISING MENTAL ILLNESS STIGMA ON TAKING PSYCHOTROPIC MEDICATIONS AS PRESCRIBED
Creator
Michaels, Patrick
Date
2015, 2015-07
Description
Research suggests mental illness stigma adversely impacts psychotropic medication use. Few studies have examined stigma and psychotropic...
Show moreResearch suggests mental illness stigma adversely impacts psychotropic medication use. Few studies have examined stigma and psychotropic medication use with a naturalistic design. This study assessed the independent impact of attitudes toward psychiatric medication, cognitive insight, explicit and implicit attitudes of public stigma and self-stigma on psychotropic medication use for people with serious mental illnesses. Medication use was examined in this one-month longitudinal study via self-reported medication use, desire to take medication as directed, pill count use rates over a onemonth period, and pharmacy records including maximum continuous gap, number of gaps, and medication possession ratios. The primary expectation that explicit and implicit attitudes would independently explain lower psychotropic medication use was mostly not supported. On average participants took 82% of psychotropic medication as prescribed, indicating medication was taken at a therapeutic level despite stigma. The most consistent association across time was a positive relationship among desire to take medication and self-application of negative stereotypes. The second finding was that attitudes toward psychotropic medication may be associated with self-reported use, maximum continuous gap, and medication possession. Implications for clinical practice recommend providers are aware, discuss, and intervene in consumer’s experiences with stigma, which can improve medication use and psychological stability. Future research should specifically enroll participants who concurrently take suboptimal doses of medication (<80% of medication) to study stigma and non-adherence. Research should seek to understand how internalized stigma and psychotropic medication stigma are related to suboptimal medication use behaviors among people with mental illness in longitudinal non-intervention studies.
Ph.D. in Psychology, July 2015
Show less
SELF DETERMINATION AND MEDICATION ADHERENCE IN INDIVIDUALS WITH SERIOUS MENTAL ILLNESS
Title
SELF DETERMINATION AND MEDICATION ADHERENCE IN INDIVIDUALS WITH SERIOUS MENTAL ILLNESS
Creator
Sheehan, Lindsay
Date
2016, 2016-05
Description
When people with serious mental illness fail to take prescribed psychiatric medications, they may be at risk for hospitalization or other...
Show moreWhen people with serious mental illness fail to take prescribed psychiatric medications, they may be at risk for hospitalization or other negative outcomes. One theoretical model for explaining medication adherence behavior is self-determination theory (SDT). According to SDT, autonomously motivated behaviors are more likely to persist than are behaviors motivated by external forces. For people with serious mental illness, psychiatrists, mental health providers, family and peers are all potential external influencers on medication-related decisions. However, interactions with mental health professionals around medication adherence may be perceived as coercive by people with mental illness and professionals may fail to adequately address valid concerns of mental health consumers. This study aimed to examine how perceived autonomy support (the degree to which people with mental illness view others as encouraging towards selfdirected medication decisions) is related to medication adherence. Sixty-six individuals with serious mental illness completed measures of self-reported medication adherence, motivation to take medication and the perceived autonomy support of psychiatrists, mental health providers, peers and family members. Perceived autonomy support failed to predict one month adherence for any of potential social influencers. However, global autonomy support and autonomy support of psychiatrists were related to both autonomous motivation and depressive symptoms, such that participants who felt more supported in making autonomous decisions cited more internally motivated reasons for taking medications and were less depressed.
Ph.D. in Psychology, May 2016
Show less