Treatment Non-Compliance of Psychiatric Patients and Associated Factors: Are Patients Satisfied from Their Psychiatrist?

Aims: The aim of the study was to determine the extent of compliance and non-compliance with treatment of psychiatric patients and examine the factors affecting compliance and non-compliance with treatment.
Study Design: Hospital based prospective descriptive study.
Place and Duration of Study: The study was carried out from September 2010 to May 2011 in Qatari population aged above 16 years at the Psychiatry Department of the Hamad Medical Corporation, Qatar.
Methodology: The study included 628 patients aged 16-77 years who were hospitalized with psychiatric disorders and treated in the outpatient clinics of the Psychiatry department. The diagnostic classification of definite psychotic disorders was according to the International Classification of Disease, Tenth revision (ICD-10).
Results: Of the 628 patients studied, 62.4% of them were compliant with treatment and 37.6% were non-compliant. High compliance was significantly more in patients in the age group (16 - 20) years old (84.4%), retired (70.2%) and housewives (70%) (P<0.001). Social support (40.3%) was poor in non-compliant patients, whereas 50.3% of compliant patients had good social support (P<0.001). The major reasons for non-compliance were irregular attendance to clinic (55.5%; P<0.001), ignorance about side effects of medication (61.0%; P=0.001), and lack of education about medication (47.9%; P<0.001).
Conclusion: Non-compliance is quite common in Qatari population like any other society. All efforts should be exerted to improve the compliance of psychiatric patients by eliminating the factors leading to non-compliance. High complaint patients were more satisfied with psychiatrist than non compliant patients. The main reasons found for compliance were lack of family support, irregular attendance to clinic, ignorance about side effects of medication, free medicine and lack of education about medication.