Effect of family-centered empowerment model on the attitude to medications and drug compliance in patients with schizophrenia: A randomized controlled trial

Abstract Introduction: Schizophrenia is a severe mental illness that causes lack of insight into the disease and the drugs will experience episodes of relapses. In addition, it is a progressive disorder effect on the individual and involved their family. This study aimed to determine the effects of family-centered empowerment model on the attitude and medication compliance of patients with schizophrenia. Materials &Methods: This study is a randomized controlled trial study in which 71 patients with schizophrenia and their families referred to IbnSina hospital of Shiraz who met inclusion criteria were divided randomly into control and study groups. The study group received education through 6 training sessions every which last 90 minutes. This training was planned on the basis of family-centered empowerment approach. In the contrast, the control group just received routine care. Both groups were evaluated by assessing questionnaire. To analyze the data chi square, t test and fishers were used in this study. Results: The findings showed that a statistically significant difference between the intervention and control groups in the attitude to medication in the one month after the intervention (p < 0.01) and in the drug compliance after intervention (p < 0.01). On the other hand, no significant relation was seen about attitude to medication between two groups after intervention (p > 0.12). Conclusion: Family-centered empowerment model can increase drug adherence of patients with schizophrenia but cannot effect on the attitudes of these patients in the short period. Keywords: Family-centered empowermentmodel, Schizophrenia, Attitude toward drugs,Drug compliance.