Predictors of medication non-adherence among outpatients with Schizophrenia at Federal Neuro-psychiatric Hospital, Kaduna, Nigeria

Background: Schizophrenia is one of the leading contributors to disease burden and disability across all regions of the world. Although the mainstay of management of patients with schizophrenia involves the use of medications, often over long periods, the high rate of non-adherence to the medications among this group of patients usually undermines the desired favorable outcomes. Medication non-adherence (MNA) remains one of the major confounding factors in the treatment outcome of the illness. Aim: To determine the prevalence and predictors of medication non-adherence among outpatients with schizophrenia at Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Kaduna, Kaduna State, Nigeria. Methods: This cross-sectional study recruited 262 participants consecutively. All participants had their diagnoses confirmed using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I.) Version 7.0.2, after which a sociodemographic and clinical characteristics questionnaire and an 8-Item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8) were administered. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 25.0. Results: The median age of the participants was 37.0 years, and more than half (56.5%) were within the age range of 35 – 59 years. Similarly, the majority (59.9%) were Muslims, with more than three-quarters (70.6%) having their age of onset of illness within the range 20 - 39 years. The prevalence of medication non-adherence (MNA) was 59.2%, and partial insight was identified as a predictor of MNA among the study participants. Conclusion: There exists a high level of MNA among patients with schizophrenia. Employing mechanisms that improve insight could enhance medication adherence among them. Keywords: Schizophrenia, medication non-adherence, predictors, Nigeria.