Attitude towards deprescribing in patients with mental illness, their caregivers, and its correlates

Deprescribing is the supervised process of reducing or stopping medications in psychiatric patients when the risks outweigh the benefits. This study aimed to assess attitudes toward deprescribing among patients with mental illness and their caregivers using the revised Patients’ Attitudes towards Deprescribing (rPATD) questionnaire. An observational cross-sectional study was conducted in a psychiatry department. Patients and caregivers aged 18–74 years completed a 22-item questionnaire assessing perceptions, influencing factors, and medication knowledge. Sociodemographic details, drug use patterns, and type of therapy were analysed. A correlation coefficient was calculated to examine relationships between patients’ confidence and attitudes toward deprescribing. The study included 100 participants. Findings revealed that 42% of patients felt medications were a burden, 53% expressed concerns about stopping, and 59% wanted to be involved in the deprescribing process. 43% considered the cost a burden, and 40% were willing to reduce dosage. Trust in physicians was a key factor in deprescribing, although 42% were concerned about losing benefits. Pearson chi-square tests showed significant associations between demographic factors and various deprescribing aspects ( p -values from 0.000 to 0.043). The analysis showed that demographic and behavioural factors did not meaningfully affect rPATD attitudes, and the regression models had limited ability to predict these domains. In contrast, the rPATD measures were significantly related to each other, suggesting that deprescribing perceptions are shaped more by interconnected medication beliefs than by the variables examined. The revised Patients’ Attitudes towards Deprescribing (rPATD) questionnaire effectively assessed attitudes toward deprescribing. While most patients were comfortable with the process, concerns about the necessity and benefits of medication posed challenges. Involving clinical pharmacists could enhance communication and support in deprescribing decisions.