Is a history of alcohol problems or of psychiatric disorder associated with attrition at 11-year follow-up?
Although rarely available, detailed analyses of attrition in psychiatric surveys are important because surveys of this type might be more vulnerable to follow-up losses. In this report the demographic characteristics, as well as history of alcohol problems and psychiatric disorders of responders were compared to nonresponders in an 11-year follow-up study. Data revealed few differences between responders and nonresponders. Men, those less educated, and low users of medical care were more likely to be nonresponders, as were those reporting driving trouble when drinking or a history of barbiturate abuse or dependence. A history of other psychiatric disorders was not associated with nonresponse. Refusal conversion did not change the findings; those who were converted (25% of initial refusals) had demographic characteristics, symptoms of alcohol abuse, and psychiatric histories comparable to those who resisted conversion. These findings suggest that efforts to convert refusals to responders might not be necessary. The results also support community psychiatric research by providing evidence that those with a history of psychiatric disorder are not more difficult to recruit than their unaffected counterparts.
Bucholz
K K
KK
Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63108-3729, USA.
Shayka
J J
JJ
Marion
S L
SL
Lewis
C E
CE
Pribor
E F
EF
Rubio
D M
DM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D015982:Bias; D003625:Data Collection / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D008923:Missouri / Q000453:epidemiology; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010352:Patient Dropouts / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D018579:Patient Selection; D012494:Sampling Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People