Proposed Topic (Most preferred): :
Enhancing Partnership with Patients and Community (Projects initiated to engage patients / carers / community to improve efficiency / quality of care)
Authors (including presenting author) :
Lau V (1) Kwan R (1) Chiu M (2)
Affiliation :
(1) City University of Hong Kong, (2) University of Bolton, UK
Introduction :
Schizophrenia is a severe mental illness characterised mainly by psychotic symptoms that interfere with the client’s life significantly. To prevent symptom deterioration and relapse, the required antipsychotic treatment is often long-term. However, drug adherence issues are challenging. Global compliance rates are reported to be around 50%. Given that non-compliance is unfavourable to the illness, an in-depth study is necessary to understand the client’s living world regarding drug taking.
Objectives :
This study aims to study (1) The essential elements constituting people’s antipsychotic treatment experiences. (2) The client’s concerns as they live with long-term antipsychotic treatment. (3) The meaning and their relationship with antipsychotic therapy.
Methodology :
This study used phenomenological inquiry to extensively study the antipsychotic experiences of 33 clients (12 ladies and 21 gentlemen, ages ranging from 24 to 61) with schizophrenia spectrum disorders through individual in-depth face-to-face interviews. The client’s average years with antipsychotic treatment was 11.64 years, varied from 0.5 to 40 years.
Result & Outcome :
Through the client’s reflective accounts, the antipsychotic experiences essentially started with a suddenness of the intrusion of antipsychotics into life. Once consumed, the clients suffered numerous undesirable physical effects that were beyond their control. When mentally stabilised, clients struggled with ambivalence about the benefits and harms of the antipsychotic drugs, particularly when faced with their significant life projects, such as studies, love affairs, employment, and family-building. These life-essential activities suggested a vital framework that determined the meaning of antipsychotic treatment and shaped drug-taking practices.
Conclusions:
The findings urge a need to shift the medical focus from mainly using antipsychotics to manage symptoms to also considering the existential possibilities for clients with schizophrenia. That is a psychopharmacological practice based on empathetic dialogues to understand what matters to clients’ life projects and significant activities in their personalised lifeworld. Clinical implications using intensive debriefing psychological interventions by healthcare professionals to ease the adjustment process of clients faced with a sudden loss of mental health and the intrusion of antipsychotic treatment into life are advocated.
