Acceptance, attrition, and outcome in an outpatient treatment programme for alcoholics. A comparison between a randomized and a non-randomized process-outcome study.
Acceptance, attrition and outcome of the same outpatient treatment programme for alcoholics was studied first in a non-randomized and later in a randomized study. There was a lower (15%) rate of acceptance and a higher (19%) rate of attrition in the randomized study. Among treatment completers drinking outcome during the third year after commencement of treatment did not differ between the non-randomized and the randomized study. It is concluded that the characteristics of subjects accepting a randomly assigned study should always be clearly presented. The absence of a patient-therapist matching in a randomized design could negatively effect attrition and probably also acceptance of treatment, while it seems to be less influential on outcome in those completing therapy.
Ojehagen
A
A
Department of Psychiatry, University of Lund, Sweden.
Berglund
M
M
D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000534:rehabilitation* / Q000628:therapy; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D001521:Behavior Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010349:Patient Compliance; D011567:Psychiatric Department, Hospital; D011613:Psychotherapy; D016896:Treatment Outcome