title: Psychopathology and substance abuse as predictors of program completion in a therapeutic community for drug abusers: a prospective study.
abstract: A total of 144 substance abusers entering consecutively a hierarchical therapeutic community, Phoenix House, Oslo, were followed prospectively 18 months through the entire program. Thirty percent completed the 1-year inpatient phase and 20% completed the total program. Using a structured interview and 3 self-report instruments, the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory, Basic Character Inventory and Symptom Checklist-90, significant differences between dropouts and completers were found in 3 areas of pre-admission characteristics: gender, substance abuse and psychopathology. Completers were characterized by a greater percentage of females, a higher frequency of amphetamine use and a lower frequency of alcohol use and a higher frequency of histrionic and a lower frequency of schizotypal traits than dropouts. The study indicates the importance of paying closer attention to these factors during treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Behavioural Sciences in Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ravndal
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vaglum
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D013287:Illicit Drugs; D008297:Male; D009664:Norway; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000523:psychology*; D010352:Patient Dropouts / Q000523:psychology*; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011594:Psychometrics; D011599:Psychopathology; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D013808:Therapeutic Community
chemical_list: D013287:Illicit Drugs