[Premature termination of inpatient psychotherapy]

This systematic review examines the frequency and possible causes of premature termination of psychotherapeutic treatments. The literature search focused on adult patients who drop-out of acute and rehabilitative inpatient psychosomatic care in Germany. The weighted average drop-out-rate of the 15 included studies was 12.5%. Young age, unemployment, inability to work, the diagnosis of an eating disorder, a somatoform disorder or a personality disorder and a low impairment at intake show a relation to a higher risk for a premature termination of the treatment. Beside these sociodemographic and clinical variables, the motivation for treatment as well as treatment expectations seem to play a role in the prediction of attrition.