CHARACTERISTICS OF CLIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA WHO EXPRESS CERTAINTY OR UNCERTAINTY ABOUT CONTINUING TREATMENT WITH DEPOT NEUROLEPTIC MEDICATION

In this exploratory study, the factors corresponding to clients' certa inty or uncertainty in continuing with depot neuroleptic medication fo r schizophrenia were examined, Ninety-four participants from a tertiar y care schizophrenia clinic received an educational intervention aid c ontaining information about treatment risks and benefits and were inte rviewed to elicit their levels of decisional conflict, self-efficacy, and emotional support, as well as expectations of risks and benefits o f treatment, Eighty-seven percent of participants decided to continue treatment, Clients who expressed uncertainty (10%) about continuing wi th treatment had higher levels of decisional conflict (p = .000), lowe r levels of decision self-efficacy (p = .037) and decision emotional c ontrol (p = .003), lower expectations of hospitalization if treatment was stopped (p = .04) as well as lower expectations of benefits and hi gher expectations of side effects (p = .04), if treatment continued, I n addition, reasons identified by participants for certainty or uncert ainty were reported, The research may be useful in increasing the awar eness of clinicians about the factors contributing to treatment decisi on making by clients diagnosed with schizophrenia and ultimately impro ve collaborative decision making. Copyright (C) 1997 by W.B. Saunders Company.