Early Intervention Found to Promote Greater Adherence to Antidepressants

Patients who participated in a brief psychosocial intervention program were more likely to adhere to their prescribed medication for depression than patients who received treatment as usual, according to astudy published inJAMA Psychiatry.“The program helps patients address barriers [such as stigma, misconceptions, and fears], identify treatment benefits, and feel empowered to manage their medication regimen and communicate with the physician effectively,” wrote Jo Anne Sirey, Ph.D., a professor of clinical psychology in psychiat ry at Weill Cornell Medical College, and colleagues. A total of 231 adults aged 55 and older who had been recently prescribed an antidepressant by their primary care physician for depression were randomly assigned to receive either the Treatment Initiation and Participation (TIP) intervention and antidepressant monitoring by their primary care physician or only treatment monitoring by their primary care physician.Patients in the TIP group met with social workers for three, 30-minute meetings over the first six weeks of antidepressant treatment. The intervention included five steps: 1) review symptoms and antidepressant regimen and conduct a barriers assessment; 2) define a personal goal that could be achieved with adherence; 3) provide education about depression and antidepressant therapy; 4) collaborate to address barriers to treatment participation; and 5) create an adherence strategy and empower the older adult to talk directly with the p...
Source: Psychiatr News - Category: Psychiatry Tags: adherence to medication antidepressant Brief Medication Questionnaire Hamilton Depression Rating Scale JAMA Psychiatry Jo Anne Sirey psychosocial intervention Source Type: research