Antipsychotic medication in prisons: satisfaction with and adherence to treatment

When taken as prescribed, antipsychotic medication is an effective treatment for people who experience distressing psychotic symptoms. But many people find that taking medication consistently is difficult, and stopping antipsychotic drugs can result in a higher incidence of relapse than in those who take their medication as prescribed. For example, relapse is observed in 70 per cent of non-adherent clients, as opposed to 20 to 30 per cent for adherent clients (Gray et al 2007). Non-adherence to antipsychotics is also associated with poor outcomes, higher financial costs (Perkins 1999) and an increased risk of perpetrating violence for people with psychosis in forensic mental health services (Stubbs and Haw 2001, Link and Stueve 1994, Taylor 1985).