Noncompliance with treatments among psychiatric patients in Kuwait

One hundred and twenty psychiatric patients were discharged for outpatient treatment, of which 55% had prematurely discontinued their medications. Clinically, these patients were characterized as being young, single male individuals with diagnoses of schizophrenia and mania. Previous multiple hospital admissions were strongly associated with noncompliance. Fear of drug dependence, complex treatment regimen and social 'stigma' were the main reasons given by the patients for their noncompliance. The need for improved doctor-patient relationship and greater efforts toward public education is emphasized