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Pharmacopsychiatry 2012; 45(05): 204-207
DOI: 10.1055/s-0032-1306311
Letter
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Adherence to Antidepressant Treatment: What the Doctor Thinks and What the Patient Says

N. Loayza   *
1   Department of Psychiatry, Section “Karl Jaspers”, Lausanne ­University ­Hospital, Hospital of Cery, Prilly-Lausanne, ­Switzerland
,
S. Crettol   *
2   Unit of Pharmacogenetics and Clinical ­Psychopharmacology, Center for Psychiatric Neurosciences, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne ­University Hospital, Hospital of Cery, Prilly-Lausanne, Switzerland
,
F. Riquier
1   Department of Psychiatry, Section “Karl Jaspers”, Lausanne ­University ­Hospital, Hospital of Cery, Prilly-Lausanne, ­Switzerland
,
C. B. Eap
2   Unit of Pharmacogenetics and Clinical ­Psychopharmacology, Center for Psychiatric Neurosciences, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne ­University Hospital, Hospital of Cery, Prilly-Lausanne, Switzerland
3   School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Geneva, ­University of Lausanne, Geneva, Switzerland
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

received 14 October 2011
revised 02 February 2012

accepted 11 February 2012

Publication Date:
02 April 2012 (online)

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Abstract

Adherence to antidepressant treatment has been shown to range from 30 to 70%. The aim of this study was to compare the patient’s self-report of adherence with the doctors’ estimation of adherence and therapeutic alliance in 104 outpatients with mood and/or anxiety disorder treated with antidepressants. The adherence scores estimated by the patients and the doctors were significantly different, the doctors underestimating adherence in 29% of cases and overestimating it in 31% of cases compared to the patients’ evaluation. Adherence measured by drug plasma concentration, despite being higher than expected from previously published reports, was in line with the patients’ self-reported score but not the doctors’ estimation. Finally, the patients’ and the doctors’ Helping Alliance scores were not related to adherence self-report.

Key words

patient compliance - medication adherence - antidepressive agents
* 

* Both authors contributed equally to this study.


 

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