Abstract
Depression is a pervasive and debilitating mental illness affecting millions worldwide.
While medication is a widely recommended treatment option for depression, many
adults living with this condition struggle with medication non-compliance. Medication
non-compliance refers to an individual’s failure to comply with a prescribed medication
regimen, including missed doses or discontinuation of the medication. This results in
worsened symptoms, increased risk of relapse, and decreased quality of life. To
address this issue, a research study explored the significance of medication
compliance in treating depression, the factors contributing to non-compliance, its
impact on depression outcomes, and strategies to improve medication compliance
among adults living with depression.
The study aimed to develop and describe strategies for psychiatric nurses to facilitate
medication compliance among adults living with depression. A qualitative, exploratory,
descriptive, and contextual research design was used, unfolding over three phases.
In phase one, a phenomenological approach was employed to explore and describe
the lived experiences of adults living with depression. A purposive sample was used
to select adults living with depression who were non-compliant with their medication.
In-depth phenomenological interviews were conducted to collect data, observations,
and field notes. Thematic analysis was employed to analyse the findings.
Two themes emerged from the data: Theme 1: adults living with depression are noncompliant
with medication for various reasons. Theme 2: adults living with
depression agree that not taking medication as prescribed creates a setback to their
mental health recovery. These findings highlight the importance of understanding the
reasons behind medication non-compliance and developing strategies to improve
medication compliance among adults living with depression.
During phase two of this research study, a comprehensive conceptual framework was
developed and described based on the findings from phase one. The central concept
of this framework was the facilitation of an internal locus of control for adults living with
depression. This facilitation process occurred over three distinct phases: the
v
relationship phase, the working phase, and the termination phase. The implementation
of facilitation occurs during the working phase, which involves facilitating intra- and
internal relationships, support, and mobilisation of resources, with a particular focus
on financial management. In phase three, strategies were developed to enable
psychiatric nurses to facilitate medication compliance among adults living with
depression.
The four ethical principles of research – respect for autonomy, beneficence,
nonmaleficence, and justice – were strictly adhered to throughout the study.
Additionally, criteria for establishing the trustworthiness of qualitative data were
maintained, including credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability. The
original contribution of this research study to the field of psychiatric nursing is a
comprehensive conceptual framework and strategies for psychiatric nurses to facilitate
medication compliance among adults living with depression. This study represents a
significant step forward in our understanding of how to support individuals with
depression and improve their overall quality of life.