Correlating Barriers to Medication Adherence With Trait Anxiety, Social Stigma, and Peer Support in College Students With Chronic Illness

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

Fall 2022

Publisher

Psi Chi: The International Honor Society in Psychology

Source Publication

Psi Chi Journal of Psychological Research

Source ISSN

2164-8204

Original Item ID

DOI: 10.24839/2325-7342.JN27.3.178

Abstract

Taking one’s prescribed medication is an important aspect of chronic illness management. It is important to better understand individual and community factors that may be associated with barriers to medical adherence. Eighty-three undergraduate students with a chronic illness took an online survey assessing perceived barriers to medication adherence, levels of anxiety, social stigma, and peer support. Participants reported on their chronic illness diagnosis. Anxiety and social stigma were positively correlated with barriers to medication adherence, p < .001, and peer support was negatively correlated with barriers to medication adherence, p = .02. Participants with a psychological illness reported statistically significantly higher levels of anxiety, p = .007, and social stigma, p = .002, than participants with a medical illness. This study contributes to the growing literature examining factors that may be associated with college students’ medication adherence.

Comments

Psi Chi Journal of Psychological Research, Vol. 27, No. 3 (Fall 2022): 178-184. DOI.

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