Predictors of Attrition in a Longitudinal Study of Substance Abusers

Abstract

Previous research has emphasized the importance of minimizing attrition in longitudinal studies. The authors examined the influence of demographic, clinical, and process factors on attrition from a longitudinal study of 286 substance abusers recruited at a central intake unit. Univariate tests showed that those who completed three, six, and 12 month interviews had higher baseline alcohol and drug use and were more likely to provide three or more contacts when recruited, to be female, to have been married, and to have previously received substance abuse or psychiatric treatment. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that complete data participants (those who completed all three ASI interviews) were nearly three times more likely to have previously received psychiatric treatment and twice as likely to have completed an early engagement interview. In addition, they were twice as likely to be female, and nearly twice as likely to be employed, own a residence, have completed high school, and be married. Procedures that may help decrease study attrition are discussed.

Distress Tolerance as a Predictor of Early Treatment Dropout in a Residential Substance Abuse Treatment Facility.

“…It also makes conceptual sense that olde r individuals who have lived with the negative consequences of substance abuse and treatment failure for a longer period of time would approach treatment with more dedication. However, a number of studies have reported no association between age and the likelihood of completing treatment (Claus, Kindleberger, & Dugan, 2002;Robinson & Little, 1982), making it difficult to draw definitive conclusions regarding age and treatment dropout. Race/ethnicity While some studies have reported that race has little effect on treatment dropout (McFarlain, Cohen, Yoder, & Guidry, 1977;Raynes & Patch, 1973;Sells, Chatham, & Joe, 1972), it has been suggested that Caucasians have higher completion rates than African Americans and Hispanics (Kleinman, Kang, Lipton, & Woody, 1992).…”

Designing a Longitudinal Cohort Study of Gambling in Alberta: Rationale, Methods, and Challenges

“…Moreover, the typical characteristics of drop-outs in longitudinal research are typically the characteristics of problem gamblers: male, single, minority group status, and substance users (Claus, Kindleberger, & Dugan, 2002;Collins, Ellicson, Hays, & McCaffery, 2000;Morrison et al, 1997). As part of this study we are attempting to minimize attrition through a comprehensive list of tracking contacts, interviewer persistence including the use of unrestricted call backs, ongoing subject contact/engagement, emphasizing the importance of subject"s contribution to the study, expressing appreciation through reimbursement of related expenses, and having flexible survey collection methods (Boots-Miller et al, 1998;Collins et al, 2000;Cotter, Burke, Loeber, & Navratil, 2002;Jones, Zhou, & Yates, 2000;Morrison et al, 1997;Salyer, Geddes, Smith, & Mark, 1998).…”

Can we predict retention in longitudinal studies of substance use? Findings from the Australian Treatment Outcome Study

“…Studies examining participant characteristics have found that study attrition is associated with being male, younger, unemployed, and with increased severity of substance use (Cottler, Zipp, Robins, & Spitznagel, 1987;Cottler et al, 1996;Fenig, Levav, Kohn, & Yelin, 1993;Gwadz & Rotheram-Borus, 1992;Psaty et al, 1994;Robins, 1966;Ryan, Plant, & O'Malley, 1995;Temple & Leino, 1989;Twitchell et al, 1992). Comorbid psychiatric disorders are more likely to be associated with study attrition in some research (Coen, Patrick, & Shern, 1996), but not others (Claus, Kindleberger, & Dugan, 2002;Cottler et al, 1996;Scott et al, 2006).…”

“…Research examining methodological factors has limited analysis to whether participants received treatment during the study, completed the first follow-up interview, or provided multiple contacts at baseline (Claus et al, 2002;Gilmore & Kuperminc, 2014;Hobden et al, 2011;Scott, 2004). To our knowledge, only one study has examined the effect of multiple interviewers on participant retention.…”