Interventions to promote psychitric patients' compliance to mental health treatment : a systematic review

Abstract

Non-compliance to treatment remains one of the greatest challenges in mental health care services, and knowledge about how to improve this is still a problem. The aim of this study is to critically synthesize the best available evidence regarding interventions to promote psychiatric patients’ compliance to mental health treatment. This study aims to provide the clinical practitioner with accessible information on interventions to promote psychiatric patients’ compliance to mental health treatment. Systematic review was chosen as a design method to identify primary studies that answer the following research question: What is the current evidence on interventions to promote psychiatric patients’ compliance to mental health treatment? Selected electronic databases that were accessible were thoroughly searched: SA-Nexus (NRF), ProQuest, EBSCOhost Platform, ScienceDirect, Web of Knowledge, Cochrane Library, Sabinet and Google Advanced Scholar were searched for primary studies that were published from 2001 to 2011. Primary studies in any language with an abstract in English were included in the search results. The following key words were used in the search: intervention, mental health treatment, psychiatric treatment, compliance, adherence, psychiatric patients, mental health care user and combinations thereof. Pre-determined inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied during the selection of studies. Sixteen studies (n = 16) were included for critical appraisal of methodology and quality using standard instruments from the Critical Appraisal Skills Program (CASP), the (JHNEBP) John Hopkins Nursing Evidence-Based Practice Research Evidence Appraisal Tool and the American Dietetic Association’s (ADA) Evidence Analysis manual. Finally only fourteen studies (n = 14) were identified as evidence that answers the literature review question appropriately. Evidence extraction, analysis and synthesis were conducted by means of the evidence class rating and grading of strength prescribed in ADA’s manual (ADA, 2008:62). The research was evaluated, a conclusion was given, limitations were identified and recommendations were formulated for nursing practice, education and research. Study findings indicated several interventions that can improve patients’ compliance in mental health treatment. Adherence therapy and motivational interviewing techniques during in-hospital stay improved the compliance of psychiatric patients. The use of Meds-help Pharmacy-based Intervention and Treatment Adherence Therapy Program for all Healthcare Professionals improved compliance to treatment for severely mentally ill. A Treatment Initiation and Participation Program and the use of Management Flow Sheet Interventions for Depressed Patients in Out-Patient Settings improved overall compliance of depressed patients in out-patient settings. Community mental health nurses trained in Medication Management improved psychiatric patients’ compliance to treatment at the community health care centres. Antipsychotic medication combined with therapeutic antipsychotic psycho-social interventions improved compliance of treatment for early-staged schizophrenia patients in out-patient settings. The use of Risperidone injections during the provision of home care and the long-acting injectable antipsychotic and atypical antipsychotic treatment used for schizophrenic patients served to improve compliance of mental health treatment in out-patient settings for schizophrenic patients. It is thus recommended that nurses should be exposed to clinical training regarding treatment compliance interventions of mental health care users during formal nursing education to enhance the mental health care practice and stimulate more innovative research on treatment compliance on the clinical field.