Abstract

Background: In mental health care, uncertainty about compliance is a challenging source of variation in the effectiveness of treatment. Aims and Objectives: The main aim of this study to assess the level of patients’ adherence to psychotropic drugs and also to explore factors associated with non-adherence to medication.
Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study was conducted in 156 patients over a period of 3-month at the Psychiatric Department, Tertiary Care Hospital, Mysore. A questionnaire designed for the adherence of treatment was administered to the psychiatric patients, those who were on treatment for ≥3 months.
Results: Adherence varied from low adherence (24.4%) through medium (34%) to high adherence (41.7%) among participants. No statistically significant associations were observed between non- adherence and the socio-demographic characteristics of subjects. Recovery from their illness (21.9%), forgetfulness (19.8%), frequency of drug regimen (17.6%), and adverse effects (16.5%) are major reasons for poor adherence. Conclusion: More than half of the psychiatric outpatients were non-adherent to prescribed medications. Strategies to improve adherence are crucial in psychiatric care.