Can Smartphone Apps Assist People with Serious Mental Illness in Taking Medications as Prescribed

Adherence research commonly happens in a silo, focused on a particular disease state or type of therapy. Learning from outside disciplines can bring new insights and ideas. This article presents adherence research as related to people with a diagnosis of a serious mental illness (SMI) and medication adherence through smartphone applications (apps). Individuals with SMI have high rates of not taking medication, increasing risks of relapse and hospitalization. Advances in technology may be advantageous in promoting taking medication. Smartphones apps have been designed for people with SMI. Further research is needed to evaluate their efficacy on improving rates of taking medication.