Abstract
This study involved a comparison of dropout and nondropout community outpatients on a pool of demographic variables. Unlike previous studies, “dropout” was operationalized in terms of both session number cutoff and failure to appear for scheduled appointment(s). With the exception that early dropouts have had less previous therapy than later dropout or nondropout patients, no important group differences occurred. The findings combined to suggest that outpatient clinics “shape” patients into two groups: (1) those who make repeated use of a variety of mental health services and (2) those who quickly turn away from such services and are unlikely to reapply at a later date.
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This study was completed by the senior author in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts at Miami University, Oxford, Ohio. The authors wish to thank the staff of the Lake County Mental Health Center, Waukegan, Illinois for their support of this effort.
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Fiester, A.R., Mahrer, A.R., Giambra, L.M. et al. Shaping a clinic population: The dropout problem reconsidered. Community Ment Health J 10, 173–179 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01410896
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01410896