Noncompliance, Nonadherence, and Dropout: Outmoded Terms for Modern Recovery-Oriented Mental Health

Psychiatr Serv. 2017 Oct 1;68(10):1076-1078. doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.201600522. Epub 2017 Jul 3.

Abstract

Discontinuing mental health treatment is traditionally viewed as an adverse event. In this Open Forum the authors explore underlying assumptions that inform this view and encourage reconsideration of the event as a personal choice and of the common tendency to describe people who discontinue treatment as "dropouts."

Keywords: Adherence; Recovery.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Humans
  • Mental Disorders / therapy*
  • Mental Health Services*
  • Mentally Ill Persons / psychology*
  • Patient Compliance / psychology*
  • Patient Dropouts / psychology*