Is lack of insight a better predictor of non-adherence to antipsychotic treatment than side-effects?

Discontinuation of medicine is the single biggest factor for relapse in patients suffering from psychosis. In the early intervention pathway, relapse rates over 3 years are around 80% for those who discontinue medication vs 20% in continuers. Often the underlying reason for stopping medicine is unclear. How many patients stop medicine because of side effects? And how many stop because they don’t think that there is any reason to take medicine? Building on a project from 2014-15 which tackled this question in the LEO service these themes will be addressed in an exploratory study with fine-grained analysis of events leading up to relapse in additional early intervention services. A qualitative analysis of existing electronic case records may reveal underlying patterns.