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Correlates of attitudes towards mood stabilizers in individuals with bipolar disorder
Author(s) -
Chang ChingWen,
Sajatovic Martha,
Tatsuoka Curtis
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
bipolar disorders
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.285
H-Index - 129
eISSN - 1399-5618
pISSN - 1398-5647
DOI - 10.1111/bdi.12226
Subject(s) - psychosocial , mood , locus of control , social support , clinical psychology , psychology , bipolar disorder , psychiatry , developmental psychology , psychotherapist
Objectives Attitudes towards medication are believed to be important for medication adherence and social factors are believed to have effects on attitudes. Only a limited literature has focused on how attitudes to medication may correlate with social factors relevant to medication adherence among individuals with bipolar disorder ( BPD ). This secondary analysis of baseline data from a longitudinal study examined the relationships between attitudes towards mood stabilizers and psychosocial variables. Methods Community mental health clinic patients (n = 122) were assessed on the outcome variable of medication attitudes as measured by the Attitudes towards Mood Stabilizers Questionnaire ( AMSQ ). Independent variables included education as well as standardized measures of psychiatric symptom severity, alcohol and drug problem severity, health locus of control (the belief that one's health is self‐determined versus determined by factors outside of one's own control), and psychosocial support. A hierarchical multiple regression model evaluated the relationship between AMSQ and these variables. Results More positive medication attitudes were seen in individuals with higher levels of social support and in those who held a stronger belief that their health outcomes are determined by others, such as family or clinicians. Education, symptom severity, alcohol problem severity and drug problem severity were not significant attitudinal correlates. Conclusions Attitudes towards mood stabilizers are correlated with both the support a person receives from others in their social network and how much a person believes others can influence his or her health. Clinicians need to be aware of the importance of the social environment as it relates to medication attitudes and more research is needed on how treatment attitudes may actually translate into medication adherence behavior.