Substance abuse intensive outpatient treatment: does program graduation matter?

Program graduation, even after controlling for length of stay, may predict for improved outcomes in some substance abuse treatment settings. We investigated the role of program graduation by comparing social outcomes and inpatient utilization the years before and after treatment among graduates and dropouts of a Veterans Administration substance abuse intensive outpatient program. At enrollment, graduates and dropouts were similar in all spheres measured. Patients who completed the treatment program used significantly fewer psychiatric inpatient bed days of care the year after they completed the program, both in comparison to their own prior use and in comparison to program dropouts. Graduates were more likely to be abstinent and less likely to fully relapse or be incarcerated at 6-month followup. Further research is needed to discern optimal treatment length-that which maximizes both length of stay and completion rates, while optimizing use of limited treatment resources.