For Risks and Side Effects Consult Your... Patients. Development and Validation of the Form to Assess Risk Perception of Antipsychotics (FRA)

Background: There is a lack of understanding regarding adherence to antipsychotic medication, although antipsychotics pose a critical aspect of schizophrenia treatment. The specific assessment of perceived risks of intake and discontinuation of antipsychotics could contribute to the explanation of adherence. Objective: An explorative study was carried out to develop and evaluate the Fragebogen zur Risikowahrnehmung von Antipsychotika (FRA; Form to Assess Risk Perception of Antipsychotics). Method: Outpatients and inpatients with an F2 diagnosis were included. We conducted item selection and exploratory factor analysis to examine validity with Sample 1 (N = 120). Afterwards, convergent and discriminant validity was assessed with an online Sample 2 (N = 39). Results: The exploratory factor analysis revealed the theoretically expected two-factor structure. Correlations with adherence measurements and specific medication-related questionnaires supported convergent and discriminant validity. Conclusion: The FRA as a measure for perceived risks of antipsychotics could improve the understanding of adherence and treatment approaches. Further prospective confirmatory studies are needed.