Factors affecting compliance with psychotropic drugs for psychiatric patients: descriptive study

Background: Poor compliance to psychotropic drugs regimens is a major obstacle to the effective care of persons who have chronic mental illness Objective: The aim of this study was to identify the factors affecting compliance with psychotropic drugs for psychiatric patients.Materials and Methods: A hospital-based, cross-sectional study design was carried-out in psychiatric out patient department of Taha Basher Hospital, Khartoum State.Sample: A total of 120 psychiatric patients were included and a purposive sampling technique was used.Data were collected by using face-to-face interview questionnaire.Results: Seventy-one percent of studied patients were non-compliant with psychotropic drugs; compliance was significantly more in male patients (34.3%), single (35, 4%), and literate (33.3%). The major factors affecting compliance with psychotropic drugs and leading to non-compliance were: feeling better (45.0%), followed by high cost of drugs (25.0%), forget fulness and fear from drugs side- effect (24.2% & 23.3%) respectively. Conclusion: Non-compliance with psychotropic drugs was high in psychiatric patients. All efforts should be exerted to improve the compliance of psychiatric patients by eliminating the effects leading to noncompliance

The prevalence and severity of mental illnesses handled by traditional healers in two districts in Uganda

Background: Little is known about the prevalence and severity of DSM-IV mental disorders treated by traditional healers in Uganda. Objective: To describe the prevalence and severity of DSM-IV disorders handled by traditional healers in Jinja and Iganga districts; Eastern Uganda. Method: Between January and March 2008; Face-to-Face Interviews were conducted with 400 patients attending traditional healers' shrines for mental health problems; using Self Rating Questionnaire 25 (SRQ-25) for screening; the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI-Plus) for specific DSM-IV diagnosis and the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) for severity of illness. Descriptive data analysis and frequency estimates were performed using SPSS version 15.0 for Windows. Pearson's chisquare tests and odds ratios were used to explore the relationship between severity and combined use of biomedical services and traditional healing. Results: Of 387 respondents; 60.2had diagnosable current mental illness and 16.3had had one disorder in their lifetime. Of the diagnosable current mental illnesses; 29.7were Psychosis; 5.4Major depressive episode; 5.6Anxiety disorders; 3.6mixed Anxiety-Depression; and 3.9Suicidality. In terms of severity; 37.7of the current mental illnesses were severe; 35.1moderate and 13.2mild. Patients with moderate to severe symptoms were more likely to use both biomedical services and traditional healers. Conclusion: These findings suggest that a considerable number of patients with DSM-IV diagnosable mental disorders attend traditional healing shrines; the majority had moderate to severe symptoms. Mental health professionals therefore need to come up with ways to co-operate with traditional healers; e.g. as officially designated Traditional Mental Attendants (TMA); for the benefit of their patients