Cognitive deficits, depressive symptoms, insight, and medication adherence in remitted patients with schizophrenia

Objective: To study the relationship between cognitive deficits, depressive symptoms, insight, and medication adherence in remitted patients with schizophrenia. Methods: Fifty-four patients aged 18-60 years, with schizophrenia in remission, were evaluated for adherence using the Medication Adherence Rating Scale (MARS), cognitive deficits using the Schizophrenia Cognition Rating Scale (SCoRS), depressive symptoms using the Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia (CDSS), and insight using the Beck Cognitive Insight Scale. Results: Twenty-one (38.9%) patients were found to be nonadherent to their medication. A significant negative correlation was found between MARS total score with SCoRS attention/vigilance (r = -0.28), attitude toward negative side effects of the psychotropic medication with SCoRS total score (r = -0.36), SCoRS attention/vigilance (r = -0.27), verbal learning and memory (r = -0.32), reasoning and problem-solving (r = -0.30), and social cognition (r = -0.28). A significant negative correlation was found between CDSS total score with MARS total score (r = -0.50), medication adherence behavior (r = -0.44), and attitude toward negative side effects of psychotropic medication (r = -0.60). MARS total score significantly positively correlated with years in remission (r = 0.29). Conclusions: Poor medication adherence was seen in more than one-third of remitted patients with schizophrenia and was associated with global cognitive deficits, depressive symptoms, and the number of years in remission.