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Support Groups and Treatment Adherence in a Geriatric Outpatient Clinic

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Abstract

The misuse of prescription medication costs America between $30.1 and 136.8 billion each year through sickness, hospitalization, and death (M. J. Johnson, M. Williams, & E. S. Marshall, 1999). Despite the efforts of many researchers to address the issue of nonadherence, few validated solutions have been developed. The current study assessed the existing medication adherence rates of 30 male participants and subsequently assigned them to one of the two conditions. The experimental condition was a 5-week multicomponent treatment adherence support group, whereas the control condition was a 5-week attention control group. All members of both conditions were compared on the measures of pill count, Seniors' Lifestyle Inventory, and Symptom Checklist-90-R. Members of the treatment adherence support groups demonstrated a significant increase in their medication adherence rate over the 5-week course of intervention.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1717 6th Avenue South 534-C, Birmingham, Alabama, 35233-7330, USA

    Stephen C. Kogos Jr.

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Kogos, S.C. Support Groups and Treatment Adherence in a Geriatric Outpatient Clinic. Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings 11, 275–282 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:JOCS.0000045347.69924.77

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:JOCS.0000045347.69924.77

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