Predicting Adherence to Medications by Hispanics with Schizophrenia

Abstract

Casefile data of 100 male and 93female Hispanics with schizophrenia were analyzed to evaluate the impact on the patient's adherence to medication regimen of biodemographic, social support, and treatment variables, and whether the patient's therapist was also Hispanic and spoke Spanish. Results revealed that older and more motivated patients were more likely to adhere to theirmedication. As predicted, those who had greaterfamily support and who were of higher socioeconomic level were also more likely to adhere. Those whose first therapist was of the same ethnicity as the patient (ie., also Hispanic) were more likely to adhere. No relationship was obtained between adherence and patient's level of acculturation, or the extensiveness of treatment: Adherence was less likely whether the therapist spoke Spanish. Implications of these resultsfor mental health practitioners are discussed