TABLE 2.

Themes of adults’ lived experiences of non-compliance with psychiatric medications while living with depression.

Themes	Categories
Theme 1: Adults living with depression are non-compliant with medication for various reasons	Category 1: Expectations of medication were unmet for the following reasons: The medication was ineffective Challenges in effectively managing the side effects associated with depression medication have emerged as a significant concern Mental illness relapse
	Category 2: Adults living with depression described interpersonal challenges as reasons for non-compliance with medication. These challenges included: Poor personal relationships Stigma
	Category 3: Social circumstances impacted adults living with depression’s compliance with medication, including: A lack of support Financial constraints
Theme 2: Adults living with major depression experienced non-compliance, which created a setback to their recovery	Category 1: Perceptions of medication changed when adults living with depression realised non-compliance impacted their lives. They consequently: Experienced support from friends and family Experienced concern over their mental health

Source: Adapted from du Plessis²⁷