title: [Dropout behavior during inpatient psychotherapy ].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Dropouts result in far-reaching consequences for the individual patient, fellow patients, therapists, and the clinic. This study was aimed at early identification of patients with a dropout risk.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data from patients of the Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy of the Medical University Clinic of Tübingen (Germany) were analyzed retrospectively in a case-control study (matched). Differences in the results of various questionnaires (SCL-90-R, IIP-D, SF-36) regarding reasons for dropout and sociodemographic data were analyzed. A total of 59 dropouts, 50 females and 9 males, were included. They were split into 28 early dropouts and 31 late dropouts. The data were compared between early and late dropouts and control group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Early dropouts were significantly younger than late dropouts; they tended to live with their parents or on their own, and suffered more frequently from eating disorders. Late dropouts lived together with partners and suffered from somatoform disorders more frequently than early dropouts. The reasons given for dropout did not differ between the groups. No differences between dropouts and the controls were found with respect to psychopathology (SCL- 90-R) and quality of life (SF-36). Late dropouts did show significantly lower scores on the scale "autocracy/dominance" than the controls (IIP).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Therapy dropout is a multifactorial occurrence. It is generally not predictable, though it may be predicted with different instruments on the basis of a diagnosis, especially with respect to interpersonal behavior patterns. In further studies, targeted interventions should be developed and tested which enable procedures to minimize the risk of dropout and to achieve complete treatment according to patients' intentions.
authors.forename: Ute
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Martens
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Rempel
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zipfel
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Enck
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Teufel
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010352:Patient Dropouts / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010555:Personality Inventory; D013811:Psychotherapeutic Processes; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012931:Social Environment; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Completer; Dropout; Early Dropout; Inpatient Psychotherapy; Late Dropout; Matched-pairs Technique; Sociodemographic Data