Almost a quarter of tuberculosis (TB) patients are “severely psychologically distressed” and are consequently less likely to complete the six-month course of treatment and be cured. This “nonadherence” can lead to them becoming resistant to the antibiotics and developing more dangerous and resistant forms of the disease. This is according to a study by University of Cape Town (UCT) researchers that was published this month in the journal BMC Infectious Diseases, and is the first time a link has been proved to exist between mental health and adherence to treatment in TB patients.