Treatment attitudes and adherence of psychiatric patients with major depressive disorder: a five-year prospective study.

Background: The prevalence, long-term temporal consistency and factors influencing negative attitudes and poor treatment adherence among psychiatric patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) are not well known.

Methods: In the Vantaa Depression Study (VDS), a prospective 5-year study of psychiatric patients with DSM-IV MDD, 238 (88.5%) patients' attitudes towards and adherence to both antidepressants and psychotherapeutic treatments at baseline, 6 months, 18 months and 5 years was investigated.

Results: Throughout the follow-up, most patients reported positive attitudes towards pharmacotherapy and psychosocial treatments, and good adherence. While attitudes became more critical over time, adherence to psychosocial treatment improved, but remained unchanged for pharmacotherapy. Employment predicted positive attitude (OR=1.97, 95% CI 1.01-3.83, P=0.046), and larger social network good adherence (OR=1.11, 95% CI 1.00-1.23, P=0.042) to pharmacotherapy at the last follow-up. Cluster B personality disorder symptoms predicted negative attitude (OR=0.82, 95% CI 0.70-0.96, P=0.012) and poor adherence (OR=0.83, 95% CI 0.72-0.95, P=0.007), but cluster C symptoms positive attitude (OR=1.30, 95% CI 1.09-1.54, P=0.003), and living alone good adherence (OR=3.13, 95% CI 1.10-9.09, P=0.032) to psychosocial treatment.

Limitations: Patients may exaggerate their adherence to treatments. Attrition from follow-up may occur due to undetected negative change in treatment attitude or adherence.

Conclusions: Among psychiatric MDD patients in long-term follow-up, treatment attitudes and adherence to pharmaco- and psychotherapy were and remained mostly positive. They were significantly predicted by personality features and social support. Attention to adherence of those with cluster B personality disorders, or poor social support, may be needed.