Concordance with antidepressant medication in primary care
Intended for healthcare professionals
Art & Science Previous     Next

Concordance with antidepressant medication in primary care

Frances Badger Research fellow, University of Birmingham, Birmingham
Peter Nolan Professor of mental health nursing, Staffordshire University, Stafford

Aim To identify how depression is managed in primary care settings and examine patients’ perspectives on their care and the impact medication had on their recovery. This article specifically addresses patients’ accounts of the influences on medication concordance.

Method A total of 60 patients from four primary care centres who had a recent episode of depression were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire and a framework analysis to identify recurring themes. Participants had largely recovered from their illness.

Findings Many factors influenced patients’ decisions to take and continue prescribed antidepressants and four broad themes were identified. These were: the role and relationship with health practitioners; factors related to the illness; beliefs about and experiences of medication for depression; and the wider context of depression.

Conclusion Concordance with antidepressants is multifactorial and may change over time in the same patient. Influences on concordance may be positive or negative and the combined effects are highly individual and dependent on circumstances. Nurses involved in medication management should encourage discussion of the likely impact of, and patients’ attitudes toward, medication.

Nursing Standard. 20, 52, 35-40. doi: 10.7748/ns2006.09.20.52.35.c4492

Correspondence

f.j.badger@bham.ac.uk

Peer review

This article has been subject to double blind peer review

Want to read more?

RCNi-Plus
Already have access? Log in

or

3-month trial offer for £5.25/month

Subscribe today and save 50% on your first three months
RCNi Plus users have full access to the following benefits:
  • Unlimited access to all 10 RCNi Journals
  • RCNi Learning featuring over 175 modules to easily earn CPD time
  • NMC-compliant RCNi Revalidation Portfolio to stay on track with your progress
  • Personalised newsletters tailored to your interests
  • A customisable dashboard with over 200 topics
Subscribe

Alternatively, you can purchase access to this article for the next seven days. Buy now


Are you a student? Our student subscription has content especially for you.
Find out more