PREDICTORS OF ATTRITION FROM AN OUTPATIENT MARIJUANA-DEPENDENCE COUNSELING PROGRAM

We sought to characterize attrition-related characteristics of three s ubgroups of adults (i.e., early dropouts, late dropouts, treatment com pleters) who had participated in a marijuana-dependence treatment outc ome study involving two alternative forms of outpatient group counseli ng. Early dropouts 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 wit h treatment completers. Late dropouts and completers were quite simila r on a number of measures (e.g., age, income, home ownership, ability to pay bills, psychological stress level, confidence in being abstinen t in the future), yet the lower rates of abstinence in the late dropou ts largely resembled the treatment outcomes of early dropouts. The fin dings suggest that attrition prevention in the early phase of counseli ng 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 re duction is more likely to be accomplished through efforts to better un derstand and address the client's dissatisfaction with treatment compo nents delivered at that stage.