Acceptance of mental illness and attitude towards pharmacotherapy among patients hospitalized in forensic psychiatry departments

Aim of the study The aim of the study was to assess the level of acceptance of the disease and attitudes towards pharmacological treatment in patients hospitalized in forensic psychiatry departments and to analyze the relationship between these variables and the length of hospitalization. Materials and methods The study included 121 patients hospitalized in forensic psychiatry wards. The Acceptance of Illness Scale (AIS) and the Drug Attitude Inventory (DAI) were used. Statistical analysis was performed using nonparametric tests, with a significance level of p < 0.05. Results The mean AIS score was 28 points, indicating moderate to good disease acceptance. A positive attitude toward pharmacological treatment was demonstrated by 74% of respondents. There was no significant correlation between disease acceptance and attitudes toward treatment (p = 0.70), nor was there any effect of hospitalization length on attitudes toward pharmacotherapy (p = 0.317). Conclusions Patients of forensic psychiatry wards demonstrate a medium or high level of acceptance of the disease and a mostly positive attitude towards pharmacotherapy; the lack of significant correlations between these variables and the independence from the length of hospitalization indicate the need for individualized therapy.