Nonadherence to complex medication regimens is a common problem among adolescents with chronic medical conditions. It may be the result of multiple factors, including pill-swallowing difficulties, lack of independent coping skills, lack of developmentally appropriate parental oversight, negative mood, and insufficient motivation to take medication. This case study demonstrates the use of a combination of cognitive–behavioral interventions to teach pill swallowing and improve medication adherence in an adolescent with mixed connective tissue and renal diseases and self-reported negative mood. Provision of this treatment package coincided with improvement in pill swallowing, increased adherence, and independence with a complex medication regimen, in addition to improvements in self-reported mood.
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