Table 2 Summary of barriers to AET adherence

Experience of side effects^a

Barrier: Increased frequency and intensity of side effects

[11, 18, 20, 39, 42,43,44,45, 55,56,57,58]

Medication beliefs^a

Facilitator: more beliefs about the necessity of AET

Barrier: more concerns about AET

[11, 18,19,20, 37, 39,40,41, 43, 45]

Illness perceptions^a

Facilitators: beliefs that certain lifestyle behaviours can cause a recurrence

Barriers: low risk perception of recurrence, high tamoxifen consequences, belief that psychological factors cause a recurrence

[56, 57, 59]

Knowledge/ information available^a

Barriers: Lack of knowledge of side effects and the mechanisms of AET

[39]

Psychological distress^a

Barriers: Increased distress (including depression and anxiety)

[20, 60]

Forgetfulness^a

Barriers: forgetting to take medication, memory difficulties

[18, 41, 61]

Social support

Facilitators: Increased social support

[11, 37, 39, 40, 42, 43, 57]

Self-efficacy

Facilitators: Increased self-efficacy

[37, 39, 43, 45]

Patient-physician communication

Facilitators: Better patient-physician relationship

[20, 37, 40, 42, 43]