Attitudes towards psychiatric medication are an important factor influencing the success of treatment. Mental health care in the region of Central and Eastern Europe remains biologically oriented, yet the attitudes of people with severe mental illnesses are largely unknown. In the present study, we aimed to analyze factors of attitudes toward psychopharmacological drugs among people with schizophrenia spectrum disorder who use community social services in the Czech Republic. Drug Attitude Inventory (DAI) was used as a primary research instrument and data were analyzed using a multivariable linear regression. The majority of respondents (78%) had positive attitudes towards psychopharmacological treatment. Additionally, attitudes towards psychopharmaceutic drugs did not differ with regard to sociodemographic characteristics except for family status. There was a significant negative correlation with the level of self-stigmatization and a significant positive correlation with the duration of treatment. Respondents who had repeated experiences with discontinuation of medication without a prior consultation with a psychiatrist had significantly worse attitudes towards medication than respondents without this experience. This study revealed evidence of a strong relationship between the attitudes toward medication and a history of discontinuation of taking medication and duration of treatment. Therefore, we suggest that interventions focused preventing the internalization of stigmatizing attitudes towards mental illness should be available to people with schizophrenia spectrum disorder, especially in the early stages of the illness - irrespective of the patient's age.

Clinical Division of Social Psychiatry University Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy Medical University of Vienna Vienna Austria

Department of Social Psychiatry National Institute of Mental Health Klecany Czech Republic

Health Service and Population Research Department Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience King's College London London UK

See more in PubMed

Arch Psychiatr Nurs. 2015 Oct;29(5):297-301 PubMed

Acta Psychiatr Scand. 2007 Nov;116(5):354-61 PubMed

J Psychiatr Pract. 2014 Sep;20(5):405-10 PubMed

World Psychiatry. 2018 Feb;17(1):3-11 PubMed

Curr Opin Psychiatry. 2015 Nov;28(6):418-23 PubMed

Br J Psychiatry. 2004 Jun;184:509-16 PubMed

J Clin Psychiatry. 2002 Oct;63(10):892-909 PubMed

Psychiatr Q. 2011 Dec;82(4):343-51 PubMed

Eur Neuropsychopharmacol. 2014 Nov;24(11):1767-72 PubMed

Schizophr Bull. 2006 Oct;32(4):724-42 PubMed

Psychiatr Serv. 2005 Mar;56(3):283-91 PubMed

Psychiatr Q. 1997 Winter;68(4):377-92 PubMed

Schizophr Res. 2012 Feb;134(2-3):226-31 PubMed

Psychiatr Rehabil J. 2014 Mar;37(1):17-23 PubMed

Br J Psychiatry. 2007 Mar;190:192-3 PubMed

Br J Psychiatry Suppl. 2000;(39):s28-33 PubMed

J Caring Sci. 2015 Sep 01;4(3):243-51 PubMed

Perspect Psychiatr Care. 2016 Apr;52(2):113-9 PubMed

Community Ment Health J. 2014 Oct;50(7):854-61 PubMed

Schizophr Res. 2018 May;195:463-468 PubMed

Patient Prefer Adherence. 2016 Jul 22;10:1289-98 PubMed

Neuro Endocrinol Lett. 2014;35(7):645-52 PubMed

Psychiatr Serv. 2012 Jan;63(1):87-90 PubMed

Nord J Psychiatry. 2013 Feb;67(1):22-9 PubMed

Psychiatry Res. 2010 Apr 30;176(2-3):109-13 PubMed

Psychiatr Serv. 2002 Oct;53(10):1319-21 PubMed

Nervenarzt. 2015 May;86(5):637-46; quiz 647-8 PubMed

Schizophr Res. 2000 Jan 21;41(2):349-55 PubMed

Psychiatry Res. 2003 Nov 1;121(1):31-49 PubMed

Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2005 Jul;62(7):717-24 PubMed

Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2009 May;44(5):343-8 PubMed

Lancet Psychiatry. 2018 Dec;5(12):1023-1031 PubMed

PLoS One. 2012;7(4):e36080 PubMed

World Psychiatry. 2013 Oct;12(3):216-26 PubMed