Association Between Symptom Severity and Medication Adherence in Adolescents with Bipolar Disorder Demonstrating Suboptimal Adherence

Objective

While medication non-adherence is common in bipolar disorder (BD), few studies have specifically assessed non-adherent BD adolescents and young adults (AYAs). This analysis, using screening and baseline data from an ongoing randomized controlled trial, examined the relationship between BD symptoms and adherence in poorly adherent AYAs.

Methods

AYAs ages 13–21 had sub-optimal adherence defined as missing ⩾ 20% of prescribed BD medication. Mean sample (N = 36) age was 19.1 years (SD = 2.0), 66.7 % (N = 24) female, 25.0 % (n = 9) non-white. Adherence was measured via: 1) self-reported Tablets Routine Questionnaire (TRQ) and 2) electronic monitoring (SimpleMed pillbox). Symptoms were measured with the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D), the Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS), and the Clinical Global Impression Scale (CGI).

Results

Mean percentage of missed BD medications using TRQ was 34.9 (SD = 28.9) at screening and 30.6 (SD = 33.0) at baseline. Mean percentage of missed medication using SimpleMed at baseline was 42.1 (SD = 37.0). The correlation between TRQ and SimpleMed was r = 0.36 (p = 0. 13). Neither CGI nor age were correlated with adherence. Neither TRQ nor SimpleMed were significantly related to HAM-D. YMRS was positively associated with worse adherence for TRQ (r = 0.36, p = 0.03), but not significantly associated with SimpleMed. Adherence did not differ by other demographic attributes.

Conclusion

Adherence levels varied widely in AYA with BD. Adherence monitoring increased adherence by approximately 4.5%, and use of electronic pill monitoring identified a greater proportion of missed medication vs. self-report. BD symptoms may not consistently identify AYA with adherence challenges.