Journal article
Living with antipsychotic medication side-effects: The experience of Australian mental health consumers
International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, Vol.24(3), pp.253-261
2015
Abstract
The present study explores people's experience of living with antipsychotic medication side-effects. Qualitative data were gathered through semistructured interviews with 10 mental health consumers in a community care setting in Australia. The interview transcriptions were content analysed, and enhanced by combining manifest and latent content. Important contextual cues were identified through replaying the audio-recordings. Several main themes emerged from the analysis, including the impact of side-effects, attitudes to the use of medication and side-effects, and coping strategies to manage medication side-effects. Each participant reported between six and seven side-effects on average, which were often pronounced and had a major disruptive impact on their lives. Of these effects, the most commonly mentioned was sedation, which the participants described as leaving them in a 'zombie'-like state. Most participants expressed an attitude of acceptance about the side-effects. The participants' most common strategy to manage side-effects was to change the dosage of the medication. Other common side-effect management strategies involved using other medications to control side-effects, and diverse self-help techniques, the most common of which was relaxation/distraction techniques.
Details
- Title
- Living with antipsychotic medication side-effects: The experience of Australian mental health consumers
- Authors/Creators
- P. Morrison (Author/Creator) - Murdoch UniversityT. Meehan (Author/Creator) - The University of QueenslandN.J. Stomski (Author/Creator) - Murdoch University
- Publication Details
- International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, Vol.24(3), pp.253-261
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Identifiers
- 991005540970007891
- Copyright
- © 2014 Australian College of Mental Health Nurses Inc.
- Murdoch Affiliation
- School of Health Professions
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Citation topics
- 1 Clinical & Life Sciences
- 1.21 Psychiatry
- 1.21.24 Schizophrenia Research
- Web Of Science research areas
- Nursing
- Psychiatry
- ESI research areas
- Clinical Medicine