Attitudes of patients with schizophrenia toward taking medication.

The attitude of 50 hospitalized persons with schizophrenia toward taking their medication was examined. Both open-ended and fixed-response estimates of attitude were made. Insight also was measured, and the relationships between insight and attitude and between hallucinations and insight were analyzed. Patients were able to provide information about beliefs and feelings about taking medication and about insight toward illness and treatment. Attitudes varied, and both strongly positive and strongly negative beliefs about taking medication were held simultaneously. Some of the implications for nursing are explained.