Objective: This study was designed to investigate the strategies employed by consumers to manage the common side effects associated with antipsychotic medication use.
Method: Focus group discussions and individual interviews involving 238 consumers, 25 carers and 16 mental health staff were employed to identify key side effects and a range of consumer coping strategies for managing these adverse effects.
Results: Nine side effects were selected from a total pool of 32 proposed in the group discussions. Strategies that were perceived by the participants to be useful in coping with the selected side effects were then identified.
Conclusions: While the strategies proposed for each side effect differed, common themes included the maintenance of a balanced lifestyle, healthy eating and sleeping routines, and fostering a positive outlook on life. Understanding the strategies employed by consumers to deal with the adverse effects of their medications may help clinicians to engage more effectively with consumers in the discussion and management of side effects.