Predictors of attrition from an outpatient marijuana-dependence counseling program

FRANÇAIS :
L'étude distingue 3 sous-groupes caractéristiques : -ceux qui abandonnent le traitement prématurément : ils sont jeunes, ont des revenus bas et une grande détresse psychologique; -ceux qui abandonnent plus tardivement (en phase d'abstinence) et ceux qui terminent le traitement: ces deux sous-groupes sont proches quant à leur âge, leurs revenus, leur stress psychologique, mais différent quant aux résultats du traitement. Les résultats suggèrent que la prévention de l'attrition dans la première partie du traitement doit porter sur les problèmes d'attendance (horaire, financement...), et dans la deuxième partie du traitement être centrée plus directement sur les besoins du patient (comprendre et répondre aux insatisfactions concernant le traitement).
ENGLISH :
Early droupouts were younger, earned less income, were more likely to rent rather than own their domiciles, were less able to pay bills, and had a higher level of psychological distress than was the case with treatment completers. Late dropouts and completers were quite similar on a number of measures (e.g., age, income, home ownership, ability to pay bills, psychological stress level, confidence in being abstinent in the future), yet the lower rates of abstinence in the late dropouts largely resembled the treatment outcomes of early dropouts. The findings suggest that attrition prevention in the early phase of counseling ought to focus on motivational ambivalence as well as assisting the client in dealing with schedule conflicts or financial impediments to continued involvement. In the later stage of counseling, attrition reduction is more likely to be accomplished through efforts to better understand and address the client's dissatisfaction with treatment components delivered at that stage. (Extract from authors' abstract)