NCJ Number
196732
Journal
Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly Volume: 20 Issue: 2 Dated: 2002 Pages: 17-33
Date Published
2002
Length
17 pages
Annotation
This study investigated what factors caused outpatient substance abuse treatment to be discontinued.
Abstract
Subjects (N=66) were clients of an outpatient substance abuse treatment clinic. Four therapists participated in the study. Client's age and contact with problem users were associated with discontinuation of treatment. Dropout decreased as age increased and became more prevalent as contacts increased. Therapists' interpersonal functioning was associated with clients' ratings of interaction and with dropout. If both the therapist and the client rated the interaction as successful, treatment was less likely to be abandoned. The study suggests that therapists pay more attention to younger clients and to ties to the substance abuse subculture, as these factors significantly increase the risk of dropout. In addition, therapists should acknowledge that patient dropouts are a staff problem rather than a patient problem, and then effective intervention can begin. Tables, figures, references