Psychological Burden and Reported Medication Adherence in Caring For Children and Adolescents with Mental Disabilities in Ghana

Abstract

Introduction: One in every five children suffer from a mental disorder. Unfortunately, two out of the five who seek mental health services do not receive adequate care. Mental disabilities result in defective intellectual growth and functioning. As these special children and adolescents take medications for their condition, the stress, anxiety and depression caregivers experience while taking care of these children cannot be overlooked as it may affect medication adherence. However, little is known about the psychological burden and reported medication adherence in taking care of children and adolescents with mental disabilities in Ghana. Method: This study was a cross-sectional quantitative study. Questionnaires on psychological burden and reported medication adherence in caring for children and adolescents with mental disabilities were administered. Items on the questionnaire include parenting anxiety, stress and depression as well as reported medication adherence. The data collected were categorized, summarized and presented using simple descriptive statistics. Chi-square and logistic regression were used to establish associations between categorical variables such as age, gender and reported medication adherence. Results: Two hundred and ten caregivers were engaged in this study and the majority of the caregivers were female. About 66.7% (140) were females. The following socio-demographic factors: gender, age, education and marital status were statistically associated with medication adherence (p<0.05). The study showed that the majority of the caregivers experienced severe forms of anxiety and depression with some experiencing moderate forms of stress. Medication adherence was statistically associated with anxiety and depression. Conclusion: The study established an association between depression, anxiety and medication adherence. This clearly shows that the mental health of the caregiver cannot be overlooked as it affects medication adherence in their children and adolescents.