Outpatient Treatment Adherence and Serious Mental Illness: A Review of Interventions

Despite the availability of a broad array of efficacious pharmacological and psychosocial treatments for individuals with serious mental illness, treatment nonadherence remains a major obstacle to recovery. The current article reviewed research on the effects of interventions specifically designed to enhance outpatient treatment adherence with this population. To locate articles, we conducted computer searches of the PsycInfo and Medline databases and manual searches of the reference sections of mental health treatment adherence reviews. We restricted our search to articles published in peer-reviewed journals as a way of establishing some level of quality control. Of the interventions reviewed, assertive/intensive case management improved outpatient treatment retention and behavior therapy enhanced medication adherence. Further development work is needed to broaden the scope and applicability of strategies available to help individuals with serious mental illness make use of treatment.