A review of motivational interviewing to enhance adherence to antipsychotic medication in patients with schizophrenia: Evidence and recommendations

Background: Non-adherence with treatment is a serious concern for many behavioral healthproblems, and nowhere is this issue more acute than among patients with schizophrenia who arenon-adherent to antipsychotic medications.Aims: Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a psychotherapeutic intervention which has beendemonstrated to be effective at increasing adherence to behavioral health regimens. The aim of thisarticle was to review the empirical literature on the use of MI to increase adherence to antipsychoticsamong patients with schizophrenia.Method: A literature review utilizing PubMed and PsycINFO from 1965 to 2006 was conducted.Results: The literature review produced only five empirical studies which utilized MI to increaseantipsychotic adherence. Two studies found an increase in antipsychotic adherence following the MIbasedintervention, while the other three found no change in adherence.Conclusions: The small sample of studies and the methodological limitations of each made it difficultto draw any meaningful conclusions. Suggestions to address these methodological issues in futureresearch are provided.