title: Attrition from a pain management programme.
abstract: Drop-out from treatment and attrition from follow-up present problems for generalizing results from pain management programmes. Predictors of drop-out and of attrition were sought from a range of psychological and physical variables. Of 239 patients admitted to an in-patient pain management programme, 24 (10 percent) dropped out, 12 (5 percent) did not attend one month follow-up and 65 (26 percent) did not attend six month follow-up. Comparisons were made of personal, medical, psychological, physical and pain measures, taken before admission, on discharge and at one month follow-up. Drop-out was best predicted by the combination of low self-efficacy and poor physical performance. Before treatment, future non-attenders at six month follow-up reported more distress due to pain and more frequent catastrophic thinking. Although they improved during treatment, at one month follow-up future non-attenders at six month follow-up scored significantly worse on almost all physical and psychological measures. Frequency of catastrophic thoughts at one month follow-up was the best predictor of attrition at six month follow-up.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Sciences, Brunel University, UK.
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Coughlan
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Ridout
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: P H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Richardson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000523:psychology*; D059408:Pain Management; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D016896:Treatment Outcome