Drop-out from a drug treatment clinic and associated reasons

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study was to assess drop-out rates and associated reasons among patients at the Iranian National Center for Addiction Studies [INCAS] clinic. In a one-year period [April 2014 to March 2015], all patients with drug dependence who had been referred for treatment and attended for a first assessment were included in this study [N=242]. Those who received treatment were followed until March 2016. Survival analysis showed that 70.2% had dropped out from treatment. Log rank test showed that treatment drop-out rates differed between the different approaches used [P < 0.001], with the lowest slope inbuprenorphine maintenance treatment and the highest in the detoxification programme. Drop-out rates within the first three months was 62% [SE= 0.05] and 82.4% [SE=0.03] for opioids and stimulants dependence, respectively. Analyses were performed using SPSS [Version 21.0] and STATA software, [version 13.0]. From the patients' perspective, motivational inconsistencies were considered as the main reason for not starting or leaving treatment. The findings of this study could give service providers a better grasp of drop-out rates and the associated reasons