Interventions to promote psychiatric patients’ compliance to mental health treatment: a systematic review

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Non-compliance to treatment remains one of the greatest challenges in mental healthcare services, and how to improve this remains a problem. AIM: The aim of this study was to critically synthesise the best available evidence from literature regarding interventions to promote psychiatric patients' compliance to mental health treatment. The interventions can be made available for mental health professionals to use in clinical practice. METHOD: A systematic review was chosen as a design to identify primary studies that answeredthe following research question: What is the current evidence on interventions to promote psychiatric patients' compliance to mental health treatment? Selected electronic databases were thoroughly searched. Studies were critically appraised and identified as answeringthe research questions. Evidence extraction, analysis and synthesis were then conducted by means of evidence class rating and grading of strength prescribed in the American Dietetic Association's manual. RESULTS: The systematic review identified several interventions that can improve patients' compliance in mental health treatment, for example adherence therapy and motivational interviewing techniques during in-hospital stay. CONCLUSIONS: Conclusions were drawn and recommendations formulated for nursingpractice, education and research.