Predictors of Dropout from Outpatient Mental Health Services; A Study from Rohtak, India

Dropout from mental health services is problematic in both developed and developing nations and often leads to poor outcomes. There is a lack of hospital-based studies assessing the factors responsible for treatment dropout from mental health services in Indian settings. This study aims to contribute in that direction by presenting a study done in a tertiary care hospital in North India.

This was a hospital-based retrospective chart review carried out on randomly selected 139 patients at a tertiary hospital from January 1, 2014, to June 30, 2014. For this chart review, an abstraction form was designed that recorded six sociodemographic variables, nine clinical factors, and two outcome variables (more than one follow-up and active follow-up till 6 months).

Out of 139 patients, 53 patients dropped out after the first visit and 105 patients dropped out by the end of 6 months. Lower education status (odds ratio [OR] = 8.2, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.30-29.50), severe mental illness (OR = 2.6, 95% CI: 1.05-6.49), and early referral to clinical psychologist (CP) (OR = 7.8, 95% CI: 1.87-6.49) were predictors of better rates of follow-up after first visit. Lower education status (OR = 4.9, 95% CI: 1.45-17.08), early referral to CP (OR = 5.8, 95% CI: 2.09-38.35), and previous treatment history (OR = 8.9, 95% CI: 1.97-17.52) were predictors of better rates of follow-up at the end of 6 months.

The findings that education status, diagnosis, utilizing services of CP, and psychiatric services in past are correlated with dropout rates may be helpful in targeting patients who are more vulnerable to dropping out of care in the given setting.