Heiman E, et al. - Researchers assessed the association of depressive symptoms with medication adherence in African American individuals with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Of 632 African American individuals with SLE, 54% reported low medication adherence and 34.6% reported moderate to severe depressive symptoms. Using a univariate logistic regression, investigators found that significant risk factors for low adherence included depressive symptoms, low self-efficacy, poor satisfaction with care, female sex, younger age, rushed patient-physician communication, poorer shared decision-making, less compassionate physician communication style, poor/fair health, and higher disease activity score. In multivariate regression, younger age, female sex, and more severe depressive symptoms were linked to low medication adherence. Findings revealed that depression was a strong correlate of low medication adherence. The authors suggested that mental health interventions focused on addressing and treating depression may increase treatment adherence.