I Just Want to Feel Normal!
Medication nonadherence is common in adolescents and places patients at higher risk of significant health complications. Medication nonadherence should be considered whenever a patient’s medical condition is not under control. Common barriers to treatment adherence include disease frustration, adolescent development, medication regimen issues, and cognitive or mental health concerns. Routinely assessing treatment adherence helps clinicians identify barriers and develop strategies with the patient for addressing those barriers. A collaborative team approach can create a safety net to support the patient’s treatment adherence. This chapter describes the factors associated with adherence, offers strategies and tools for assessing and identifying the barriers to adherence, and outlines a collaborative process for improving adherence.