Department of Psychology, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Matieland, 7602, South Africa; Department of Psychology, Stellenbosch University, South Africa
Nel, J., Department of Psychology, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Matieland, 7602, South Africa; Smith, M.R., Department of Psychology, Stellenbosch University, South Africa
It is well documented that patient adherence to medical advice and prescription medication is suboptimal. While the reasons for non-compliance are varied and complex, it is essential that they be expounded to facilitate the efficacy of medical interventions. In no other illness is this more pertinent than with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has become the first line of treatment for HIV, but stringent adherence is a prerequisite for therapeutic efficacy. As with other treatments, adherence to HAART is problematic. One factor that may play a significant role is if the patient has a comorbid psychiatric illness. This article provides a theoretical exposition of how a patient with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) might suffer innumerable exigencies with adherence as a hypothesised function of the individual properties of his or her illness that is likely to be compounded when the properties interact with one another. © Psychological Society of South Africa. All rights reserved.