Effective treatment of schizophrenia needs medication that is taken regularly for a long period of time. Antipsychotic non-adherence is considered to be the main reason for relapse and hospital readmission.

The objective of this study was to estimate the frequency of non-adherence with antipsychotic medication in schizophrenic outpatients and to identify socio-demographic and clinical factors that may influence this behavior.

According to the objectives, the aim of the study was to find factors that have a predictive role in regards to attitude towards antipsychotic medication.

This prospective 6-month follow-up study was conducted in Timisoara Mental Health Center, Romania and included 60 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia according to ICD-10 criteria. Clinical interview and the BPRS-A were applied at baseline. Patients were assessed monthly with BPRS-A and a shorter version of the ROMI scale (Rating of Medical Influences).

46.66% of patients were adherent to treatment and 53.34% were not. Elderly patients were more non-adherent to treatment (p = 0.04), as were single patients (p = 0.05). We obtained significant differences between groups considering the duration of the illness (p = 0.04) and the mean number of hospitalizations (p = 0.02), both being higher in the non-adherent patient group.

The main factors influencing adherence were: age, marital status and duration of the disorder. The most prevalent reasons for adherence were: the daily perceived benefit and relapse prevention. Prevalent reasons for non-adherence were: adverse effect of medication and the fact that medication is not currently needed.