Predicting Treatment Dropouts from a Drug Abuse Rehabilitation Program

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Abstract
Drug addicts (75) who completed an opiate detoxification program were compared on 14 variables with addicts (75) who dropped out prematurely. Patients, evidently, were more likely to complete detoxification when the number of staff absences and primary therapist absences increased, when more patients were admitted during their hospitalization, and if they were prescribed methadone. A discriminant function analysis successfully classified 88% of the sample into stay/leave categories. The results were cross-validated on an independent sample of 25 completers and 25 dropouts, resulting in 75% classification accuracy. Primary drug of abuse (heroin/Talwin) was not a factor on any measure. Treatment dropout among drug addicts is apparently based more on situational interactionism than on individual determinism.

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