Pretreatment dropouts: characteristics and outcomes

The characteristics and outcome results of 123 cocaine dependent patients who dropped out following intake without returning for even one treatment visit were compared with those of 324 who did return and received at least one treatment service and 118 who remained on the program for two months or more. The pre-treatment dropouts were more often positive for cocaine on admission drug screens and less often employed. They reported fewer psychological symptoms on the scales of the SCL-90 and received lower scores on the medical problem severity scale of the ASI. At 9-month follow-up they were found to have less often attended self-help meetings or continued in outpatient treatment, more often to have been admitted for inpatient treatment or been in jail, less often returned to school and were more often using cocaine. Clearly, clinicians and researchers need a better understanding of these patients who account for significant attrition, have distinguishing characteristics, and do much more poorly than those who remain in treatment.