中華心理衛生協會

Purpose: This research examined the factors and reasons that support depression patients in maintaining their antidepressants. Methods: Participants were 150 psychiatric out-patients (40 men and 110 women, age 20-75 with mean age of 48.51) at a regional hospital in Taiwan. The Antidepressant Compliance Questionnaire (ADCQ) and open-ended questions were used to gain an understanding of the circumstances that support patients in taking their antidepressants as well as their expectations regarding treatment. Results: More than 90% of the patient-respondents had a positive evaluation of the treatment. Younger participants had lower perceptions of their relationships with their doctors and lower beliefs about efficacy of antidepressants than elders. The main reason for patients continuing acceptance of both the treatment and out-patient service was the hope that taking antidepressants would lead to a significant reduction of their mental and physical symptoms. The main factors that hindered patients' willingness to take antidepressants were a negative impression of the side effects, fear of reliance on pharmaceuticals, circumstantial influences, and the lack of a rigorous health-management plan. Conclusions: This study indicated that depression patients have very high expectations for supportive relationships and a positive therapeutic outcome. Patients expected medical personnel to be able to understand their needs by making use of their non-verbal information. The clinical implications of the findings suggest that healthcare practitioners should engage in empathic listening and provide accurate information about the use of antidepressants to increase patients' compliance with prescriptions.