Maudsley Series

There is a myth that people with mental disorders comply poorly with treatment. In fact, psychiatric patients are no more likely than patients in other medical specialities to go against the advice of their doctor. That said, it is easy to find instances where psychotropic medication is refused by the supposed beneficiary. The value of neuroleptic treatment in schizophrenia is now widely accepted. Failure to take such treatment is associated with relapse and relapse may endanger the patient and other people. Despite this, people with schizophrenia frequently fail to take their treatment. This study shows that one third can be expected to be non-compliant within two years of leaving a general adult psychiatry ward. It also looks at the reasons for this: the influence of drug side-effects is examined, as well as the impact of each patient''s attitude to treatment and whether or not they have stopped taking prescribed medication in the past.