Effectiveness of Group Psychoeducational Intervention on Drug Compliance Among Patients with Affective Disorders

Abstract

Affective disorders are long-term conditions characterized by poor understanding of disease, poor adherence to medications, high rates of relapse, significant general impairment, and long-term burdens of psychosocial dysfunction. Although complex regimens are available to treat affective disorders, over 50% of those with affective disorders fail to take their medications as directed. Therefore, improving medication adherence is an essential and “promising management component” in bipolar disorder as an addition to pharmacotherapy. Psychoeducation is a form of treatment designed to enhance medication adherence. Psychoeducation dates back to the so-called Mental Hygiene Movement of the early 1900s and the so-called Deinstitutionalisation Movement of the 1950’s and 1960’s. Over the past 30 years, studies on the efficacy of psychoeducation have indicated that it will help with medication adherence, early detection of symptoms, reduce relapse and hospitalization, and improve knowledge of illness. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of Group Psychoeducational Intervention on Drug Compliance among Affective Disorders in conjunction with Psychopharmacotherapy in 120 patients who met inclusion criteria and were randomly assigned to control (n = 60) or experimental (n = 60). Pre-test was administered to both groups (experimental and control) using HDAI 30 items scale, along with socio demographic variables. Experimental group received psychoeducational treatment 7 sessions group twice a week in 3-month duration. Control group was given routine care. Post-test was administered immediately, 03-month, 06 month, and 09 month after intervention. For the purpose of comparing pre- and post-test data, “RM ANOVA (for one factor repetition)” was used. For post-test data, the P-value for the Bonferroni 't' test (Post-hoc Multiple Comparisons) was set at 0.05. We discovered a substantial difference between the experimental and control groups. Significant variation between the test group (baseline versus immediate versus 3 months versus 6 months versus 9 months). Significant difference in group X test interaction.

Conclusions: According to the findings of the study, group psychoeducational interventions reduce the rate of patient noncompliance in those with affective disorders.