Objective: In bipolar disorder, recurrence rate is relatively high. With each episode, the risk of a new episode is increased. The first choice is drug treatment. However, patients have serious difficulties in drug compliance. This study was conducted to investigate drug compliance of patients with bipolar disorder, and to determine relationships between drug compliance, coping with stress, and social support.
Method: The target population of the study included 280 patients registered in a state hospital with the diagnosis of bipolar disorder in 2011, residing in the city center, and having no other psychiatric disorders. Of these 280 patients, 150 who agreed to participate in the study and accepted to be visited at home after they were telephoned comprised the study sample. Of the patients in the target population, phone numbers and addresses were changed in 112 patients, and 18 refused to have a home-visit, so they were excluded from the study. Data were collected using the personal information form, Morisky Medication Adherence Scale, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support and Ways of Coping Scale.
Results: In this study, it was determined that 55.3% of the patients did not comply with drug treatment. The patients with poor drug compliance preferred mainly desperate approach and submissive approach subdimensions of the Ways of Coping Scale more. There was no difference between patients with and without drug compliances in terms of social support.
Conclusions: It is considered that development of effective coping strategies would promote drug compliance in patients with bipolar disorder.
Key words: Bipolar disorder, coping, medication compliance, nursing, social support
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