Satisfaction with Antipsychotic s

What do patients/clients who are taking antipsychotic medication say influences their perceptions of their medication? 

  • Patient-perceived participation in decision-making and age were directly, significantly, and independently associated with subjective satisfaction with the antipsychotic medication.  

  • Furthermore, the severity of psychotic symptoms is inversely, significantly, and independently associated with this satisfaction.  

  • Patient involvement in the treatment plan may play a key role in determining the patient’s attitude towards the antipsychotic. 

  • Specific association between greater self-perceived participation in decision-making and higher satisfaction with the medication  

  • If the therapeutic alliance between the doctor and the patient is strong –meaning that the doctor involves the patient in a shared decision-making process, thus increasing patient trust in the physician –then the patient will have a more positive attitude towards the antipsychotic and greater satisfaction with the medication 

  • The relationship between therapeutic alliance and adherence to antipsychotic treatment may be mediated by satisfaction with the medication. 

  • The association between the patient’s trust in the physician and adherence to the antipsychotic may be modulated by the patient’s attitude towards the medications.  

  • However, although therapeutic alliance (measured with the WAI-S) was significantly associated with treatment satisfaction on the bivariate analysis, this association was no longer significant on the final multiple regression model. 

  • Older patients were more satisfied with the treatment  

  • We hypothesize that younger patients would be less satisfied with treatment due to the side effects, particularly in those who take antipsychotic medications for the first time. 

  • Younger patients and those with worse attitudes towards treatment demand greater participation in treatment decision-making 

  • Patients with more severe psychotic symptoms were less satisfied with antipsychotic treatment 

  • Dissatisfaction may be associated, at least partially, with the patient’s perception of the relative ineffectiveness of these drugs, especially if there are side effects.