Exploring challenges to medication adherence aacmong young and middle-aged adults with coronary heart disease in China: a qualitative study

Young and middle-aged adults with CHD may have difficulty maintaining medication adherence due to distorted illness perceptions, emotional resistance to accepting a chronic condition, and the marginalization of medication-taking within their busy daily routines. These findings highlight the need to explore psychological approaches, such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), as potentially relevant strategies to support illness acceptance and psychological adjustment in this demographic. In addition, nurse-led initiatives that facilitate the integration of medication-taking into daily life warrant further investigation. Future mixed-methods and interventional studies are needed to test the feasibility and effectiveness of these approaches.