Engaging Substance Abusers After Centralized Assessment: Predictors of Treatment Entry and Dropout

Abstract

High attrition continues to be an important issue for substance abuse treatment providers. This study examined factors contributing to treatment entry and dropout after referral from centralized assessment. Univariate analysis showed that individuals with a shorter wait after assessment were more likely to attend an initial treatment appointment, while those who reported a history of physical or sexual abuse or were on probation were significantly more likely to drop out of treatment early. Multivariate analysis revealed, first, that persons with a comorbid psychiatric diagnosis and those referred to outpatient rather than residential care were less likely to enter treatment; and, second, that persons on probation and with a history of physical or sexual abuse were more likely to be early treatment dropouts. Findings suggest that decisions to seek help and to accept help are distinct, and that program factors play a substantial role in treatment engagement and retention.

Mental health problems: Are they or are they not a risk factor for dropout from drug treatment? A systematic review of the evidence

“…All but one of these studies found that past mental health treatment does not affect retention (Agosti et al 1996;Hiller et al 1999;Claus and Kindleberger 2002;Brady et al 2004), however one reports that amongst offenders in residential rehabilitation a mental health treatment history was a good predictor for dropout (Lang and Belenko 2000). It has to be noted that the latter study investigated a large number of predictors in a relatively small sample and there may be methodological concerns about power and multiple testing.…”

Effects of Integrated Trauma Treatment on Outcomes in a Racially/Ethnically Diverse Sample of Women in Urban Community-based Substance Abuse Treatment

“…7 Moreover, for those persons receiving treatment for mental health disorders and/or posttraumatic stress/substance use disorders, higher dropout rates are reported for persons with a history of physical or sexual abuse or a history of child abuse/neglect. 8 Amaro et al 9 also reported that Latina women with a history of childhood abuse receiving services in a residential substance abuse program were more likely to drop out in the early stages of treatment than those without such history. In another study, Thompson and Kingree 10 reported that treatment completion in a residential substance abuse treatment program for lowincome pregnant women was related to PTSD.…”

The Relationship Between Client Characteristics and Wraparound Services in Substance Use Disorder Treatment Centers

“…SUD clients who are trauma survivors are an especially vulnerable population. Treatment dropout rates tend to be higher for trauma survivors (Odenwald & Semrau, 2013), specifi cally for individuals with a history of physical or sexual abuse (Claus & Kindleberger, 2002;Kang et al, 2002), compared with clients who have not experienced traumatic events. Nonetheless, interventions that specifi cally address trauma are associated with increased treatment retention (Amaro et al, 2007;Ouimette et al, 2003).…”