Open AccessPsychological Reactance is a Novel Risk Factor for Adolescent Antiretroviral Treatment Failure
Author(s) -
Elizabeth Lowenthal,
Mitchelle Matesva,
Tafireyi Marukutira,
One Bayani,
Jennifer Chapman,
Ontibile Tshume,
Mogomotsi Matshaba,
Meredith Hickson,
Robert Gross
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
aids and behavior
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.994
H-Index - 106
eISSN - 1573-3254
pISSN - 1090-7165
DOI - 10.1007/s10461-020-02986-z
Subject(s) - reactance , health psychology , anger , medicine , autonomy , odds , psychology , clinical psychology , public health , psychiatry , nursing , physics , logistic regression , quantum mechanics , voltage , political science , law
Psychological reactance is an aversive response to perceived threats against personal agency. For adolescents receiving HIV treatment in Botswana, we utilized a two-question, medication-specific reactance tool to assess whether: (1) verbal reminders to take medicines made adolescents want to avoid taking them, and, (2) whether adolescents felt anger when reminded to take medicines. Reactant adolescents had 2.05-fold (95% CI 1.23, 3.41) greater odds of treatment failure than non-reactant adolescents (p = 0.03). Adjusted risk of treatment failure was 14% (95% CI 3%, 28%) greater for each point elevation in reactance score (p = 0.016). Autonomy over medication-taking did not modify the association between reactance and treatment failure. Psychological reactance may be a useful interventional target for improving adolescent adherence.