Journal of general internal medicine
-
Meta Analysis Comparative Study
Depression and medication adherence in the treatment of chronic diseases in the United States: a meta-analysis.
To conduct a meta-analysis of the association between depression and medication adherence among patients with chronic diseases. Poor medication adherence may result in worse outcomes and higher costs than if patients fully adhere to their medication regimens. ⋯ This analysis provides evidence that depression is associated with poor adherence to medication across a range of chronic diseases, and we find a new potential effect of adherence measurement type on this relationship. Although this study cannot assess causality, it supports the importance that must be placed on depression in studies that assess adherence and attempt to improve it.