Retention in drug-free counseling

The 20 background characteristics and SCL-90-R Global Severity Index scores of 110 patients seeking outpatient drug-free counseling were correlated with (1) their lengths of stay in treatment and (2) whether or not they completed treatment. Length of stay was related to race, occupational level, presence of felony arrests, type of referral, secondary drug use of stimulants, and the SCL-90-R Global Severity Index. Completion of treatment was associated with just race; Whites dropped out of treatment more frequently than Blacks. When a multiple stepwise regression analysis was employed with the six significant zero-order psychosocial characteristics for length of stay, only race, secondary stimulant use, and overall symptom distress (SCL-90-R) remained related to length of treatment. Length of stay was positively associated with being Black and secondary drug use of stimulants, but negatively associated with overall symptom distress. The clinical implications for retaining patients in outpatient drug-free counseling are discussed.