Completers and Dropouts in a Prevention Programme for Parents of Adolescents with High-Risk Behaviours

The main goals of this study were to determine the rate of retention/dropout in a prevention programme for parents of adolescents with risk behaviours, to compare completers and dropouts in several characteristics, and to establish the main variables related to treatment completion and dropout.

The sample was composed of 367 parents (165 men and 202 women). Information was collected on sociodemographic characteristics, adolescents' attendance at the programme, psychopathological symptoms, emotional states, educational styles, and maladjustment to everyday life.

The retention rate was 79.29% (n = 291), with no sex differences between completers and dropouts. Completers were older, maintained the composition of the nuclear family of origin and had their children simultaneously receiving treatment in the prevention programme for adolescents at the same centre. Four groups were found in the cluster analysis. The highest dropout rates were observed among parents whose children did not participate in the programme (29.5% n = 18) and among families that had undergone changes in the composition of the nuclear family of origin (28.9% n = 26).

This study highlights the importance of family composition and the involvement of both parents and adolescents in the effectiveness of the indicated prevention programmes.