Brief interventions for improving adherence in schizophrenia: A pilot study using electronic medication event monitoring.

Poor medication adherence remains frequent in schizophrenia. The present study examined the efficacy of two month-long pilot interventions using the Medication Event Monitoring System (MEMS®). Thirty-three outpatients at high risk for relapse were randomized to receive a smartphone-based intervention, a nurse-based intervention, or treatment as usual.

Evaluation of adherence patterns in schizophrenia using electronic monitoring (MEMS®): A six-month post-discharge prospective study.

Background: Medication Event Monitoring System (MEMS®) is considered the gold standard for the evaluation of medication adherence, yet few studies have applied this method, especially over long periods of time.

Objective: To investigate medication adherence patterns in a sample of post-discharge patients with schizophrenia monitored with MEMS caps during a six-month period.

Method: Adherence to antipsychotics was prospectively investigated using MEMS among 68 patients with schizophrenia.

Medication adherence in patients with psychotic disorders: an observational survey involving patients before they switch to long-acting injectable risperidone.

Background: Maintaining antipsychotic therapy in psychosis is important in preventing relapse. Long-acting depot preparations can prevent covert non-adherence and thus potentially contribute to better patient outcomes. In this observational survey the main objective is to evaluate medication adherence and its determinants for oral treatment in a large sample of patients with psychosis.

The "Functional Remission of General Schizophrenia" (FROGS) scale: development and validation of a new questionnaire.

Functional remission is an important treatment goal in schizophrenia, as independent living and reintegration of patients into the community and the workplace is the ultimate goal of any treatment. Nevertheless, assessing functional remission in schizophrenia is problematic, as it is a multifactorial and complex entity reflecting various aspects such as symptoms severity, personal skills and socio-cultural expectancies. The purpose of this study was to create and validate a novel scale for the evaluation of functional remission in schizophrenia.

Bipolar disorders and quality of life: the impact of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and substance abuse in euthymic patients.

Patients with bipolar disorders (BPD) display high rates of comorbidities, especially substance abuse (20-40%) and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (6%-20%). However, there are virtually no data evaluating the role of current ADHD on the global functioning of patients with BPD. The recent literature suggests that impairments in quality of life are a key prognostic feature for predicting the long course of BPD.