Impact of Motivational Interviewing on Medication Adherence in Schizophrenia

This literature review addresses the question of whether motivational interviewing (MI) is effective at improving medication adherence in patients with schizophrenia. The databases PsycINFO, OVID Medline, and PubMed were searched using the keywords "schizophrenia," "medication adherence," and one of the following: "motivational interviewing," "adherence therapy," or "compliance therapy." Relevant studies from the last ten years were included, resulting in six studies being included in this literature review. One study presented evidence for a direct relationship between motivational interviewing and medication adherence. Most studies did not support this relationship. Some studies found evidence for a relationship between motivational interviewing and other outcomes such as improved psychotic symptoms and decreased re-hospitalization rates. Motivational interviewing may be beneficial for some patients with schizophrenia but should not be considered a first line therapy. Clinicians not already using motivational interviewing in providing care to their patients with schizophrenia should not implement it for this population.