Adherence Issues and Solutions with Antipsychotic Therapy

Adherence Issues and Solutions with Antipsychotic Therapy

The US Surgeon General and World Health Organization use figures ranging from 20% to 25% of persons each year have a diagnosable mental disorder.

Using further screening term -- serious mental illness -- the numbers drop to 5.4%. It is this category, serious mental illness that we in NAMI generally focus our attention.

People with serious mental illness (schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression) are significantly functionally impaired by the illness for an indefinite period of time. Hence the definition of what is serious mental illness.

Science has made great strides in understanding the biology of the brain and what goes wrong to cause the illness.

Medications and psychosocial treatments are evolving as we speak.

Yet the level of satisfaction in treatment and the percentage of successful outcomes seem to be at opposite ends of what science tells us should occur.

NAMI Texas recognizes that more money is needed but put into a fragmented and antiquated system, using the same well-worn practices of delivery of services just does not seem to carry too much logic.

This is a rather lengthy article, which focuses on schizophrenia, that may or may not define the issue relating to that disease from your perspective.

I would like to have any feedback you might share regarding the future of an injectable, long-acting atypical in the disease management program.

You can access the article by merely clicking on the link or going to the website. You need to register if you have not done so on medscape already; there is no charge.

Click here: Adherence Issues and Solutions With Antipsychotic Therapy

http://www.medscape.com/viewprogram/2031

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Last Updated on 04/08/04 webmaster@namiscc.org

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