title: Patients dropping out of treatment in Italy.
abstract: The aim of this study was to explore the extent and the specific features of drop-out for patients having a first contact with an university psychiatric outpatient clinic in Italy over the course of 1 year and to determine which variables were associated with early termination of treatment. Of the 158 patients selected for this study, there was an overall 3-month drop-out rate following the first visit of 63%. Of the 59 patients who had returned once after the initial contact, 28 interrupted subsequently the treatment, although the therapist's plan included further visits. The overall drop-out rate at 3 months was thus 82%. The only 2 variables associated with drop-out rates were the patients' perception of the severity of their disorder and the psychiatric history: continuing patients were more frequently in agreement with the clinician's judgment as compared with those who dropped out and were more likely to have already been in psychiatric treatment.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychiatry, University of Naples Federico II, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Morlino
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Martucci
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Musella
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bolzan
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: de Girolamo
mesh_terms: D001294:Attitude to Health; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D010044:Outpatient Clinics, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010352:Patient Dropouts / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010552:Personality Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011594:Psychometrics; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*