Original Paper Subjective Meaning

Abstract The patient’s adherence to the antipsychotic medication regimen is a critical issue in the treatment of schizophrenia, because non-adherence is one of the main causes of relapse. ‘Objective ’ factors including lack of insight and uncomfortable adverse effects are reported to contribute to non-adherence. It is also important to explore the ‘subjective ’ meaning of taking antipsychotic medication from the patient’s point of view, as medical anthropology has revealed the importance of subjective meaning of illness for the individual. In the current study, 11 schizophrenic and schizo-affective patients were interviewed to elicit the participants ’ subjective opinions about their medicines. The narratives contained negative and positive aspects of taking medicine from the patient’s perspective. Antipsychotics are viewed as an unwelcome reminder of the stigmatized condition and as a threat to social life by potentially damaging the brain or creating drug dependency. On the other hand, patients recognized that antipsychotics effectively reduced uncomfortable symptoms, facilitated sound sleep, or stabilized the condition. Many patients do not take their medications; even the patients who accepted and adhered to the medication regimen expressed anxiety, worry, and reluctance to take medications. However, adherent patients tried to make sense of taking antipsychotics by covering negative meanings with positive ones. It is clinically important to explore subjective meaning of taking antipsychotic medication from the patient’s perspectives