Do patients with schizophrenia distinguish between attitudes toward antipsychotic medication and pharmacotherapy in general? Validation of the Beliefs About Medication Questionnaire.

Attitudes toward medication are important predictors of medication adherence in schizophrenia. However, monitoring their strength and influence in clinical settings is challenged by the absence of assessments separating them from adherence and subjective response and distinguishing between attitudes toward pharmacotherapy in general and antipsychotic medications. This study examined the applicability of the Beliefs about Medication Questionnaire (BMQ) in outpatients with schizophrenia (N = 131). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) could not support the original four-factor structure. A subsequent exploratory factor analysis revealed the factors Antipsychotics Necessity, Antipsychotics Concern, and Pharmacotherapy Distrust were supported by an acceptable fit of a completing CFA. These subscales have satisfactory internal reliability, test-retest reliability, and local fit indices. Modest correlations with insight and illness perception indicate construct validity. Criterion validity was supported by a significantly higher medication adherence of accepting patients compared with skeptical patients. The BMQ is a psychometrically sound and valid measure of attitudes toward medication in outpatients with schizophrenia.