Injectable medication for the treatment of multiple sclerosis: The influence of self-efficacy expectations and injection anxiety on adherence and ability to self-inject
Dc. Mohr et al., Injectable medication for the treatment of multiple sclerosis: The influence of self-efficacy expectations and injection anxiety on adherence and ability to self-inject, ANN BEHAV M, 23(2), 2001, pp. 125-132
The management of many, chronic illnesses involves medications that must be
injected on a frequent basis. With fewer support resources available, pati
ents are increasingly being obliged to manage injectable medications themse
lves. Interferon beta-1a (IFN beta -1a), recommended for the treatment of m
ultiple sclerosis (MS), must be injected intramuscularly on a weekly basis.
Patients are generally advised and taught to self-inject, if possible. Thi
s longitudinal study examined cognitive and affective contributions to the
ability to self-inject and adherence to IFN beta -1a over 6 months followin
g initiation of medication. Participants were 101 patients with a relapsing
form of MS. Injection self-efficacy expectations, injection anxiety, adher
ence expectations, method of injection administration, and 6-month adherenc
e to IFN beta -1a were fitted to a path analytic model. Pretreatment inject
ion self-efficacy expectations were significantly related to 6-month adhere
nce. This relation was mediated by the patient's ability to self-inject. Pa
tients 'experienced level of injection anxiety was related to adherence bur
not to method of injection.