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ABSTRACT Objectives: to evaluate the relative risk of smoking cessation treatment dropout during its intensive phase. Methods: a retrospective and quantitative cohort study was developed from the electronic medical records of individuals who started smoking cessation treatment between 2015 and 2019 at a specialty clinic in a city in the interior of São Paulo, Brazil. The relative risk of dropping out of treatment was calculated using the Poisson regression model. Results: it was observed that out of the 396 (100.0%) individuals who started the treatment, 109 (27.5%) abandoned it before the end of the intensive phase. For each one-year increase in age, the risk of dropping out of smoking cessation treatment decreased by an average of 2%. Conclusions: the risk of dropping out of smoking cessation treatment is higher among younger individuals. It is necessary to rethink the care offered to younger adults to promote the continuity of treatment.

ObjectiveThe objective of the study was to investigate dropout rates and discern potential factors contributing to the discontinuation of treatment provided to transgender individuals by the Transdisciplinary Gender Identity Program at the Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (PROTIG).MethodologyThis study employs a descriptive, cross-sectional, retrospective design to analyze socio-demographic and clinical data obtained from medical records of patients treated at PROTIG between 2000 and 2018. A structured form, devised by PROTIG’s professional team, was utilized to extract and evaluate several variables including: age, gender, education level, diagnosis of F64 according to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10: Version: 2010), clinical comorbidities (coded by ICD-10), laboratory diagnosis of sexually transmitted infections, distance between patients’ residence and the hospital, and year of entry into PROTIG. The patient cohort was stratified into two categories based on their duration of attendance: dropout (defined as attendance for up to 365 days) and non-dropout (attendance exceeding 365 days). Categorical variables between dropout and non-dropout groups were compared using Pearson’s chi-square test. Additionally, Poisson regression analysis was utilized, employing a 95% confidence interval (CI) and setting the significance level at 0.05.ResultsThe study included a total of 888 patients accessing PROTIG, with 275 (31%) classified in the dropout group. Of the patient population, 65.5% (n = 582) self-identified as transgender women, while 34.5% (n = 306) identified as transgender men. Significant differences were noted between the dropout and non-dropout groups. Specifically, differences were noted among transgender women (p

Recent evidence confirms the risks of discontinuity of care when young people make a transition from child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) to adult mental health services (AMHS), although robust data are still sparse. We aimed to identify when and how patients get lost to care during transition by tracking care pathways and identifying factors which influence dropping out of care during transition. This is a retrospective observational study of 760 patients who reached the transition age boundary within 12 months before transition time and being treated at CAMHS for at least during preceding 18 months. Data were collected at two time points: last visit to CAHMS and first visit to AHMS. Socio-demographic, clinical and service utilization variables on CAMHS treatment were collected. In the 12 months leading up to the transition boundary, 46.8% of subjects (n = 356) withdrew from CAHMS without further contact with AHMS, 9.3% withdrew from CAHMS but were referred to AHMS by other services, 29% were transferred from CAHMS to AHMS, 10% remained at CAHMS and 5% patients were transferred to alternative services. Fifty-six percent of subjects experience cessation of care before the transition age. The risk of dropout increases with shorter contact time in CAMHS, is greater in subjects without pharmacological treatment, and decreases in subjects with psychosis, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, mental retardation, and neurodevelopmental disorders. This study confirms that a large number of people drop out of care as they approach the CAMHS transition and experience discontinuity of care during this critical period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: In this study, we examined predictors of exercise adherence, contamination and dropout in lung and oesophageal cancer patients who participated in two randomised controlled trials. Methods: We used data on 188 lung and oesophageal cancer patients from two previous studies (intervention: moderate‐intensity walking for 12 weeks). Baseline measurements included demographic variables, disease characteristics, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and Bouchard 3‐day physical activity (PA) record. We used multiple linear and logistic regressions to analyse predictors of exercise adherence in the walking group, contamination in the control group and dropout in both groups. Results: Pre‐intervention exercise habits and baseline depression scores predicted adherence, with an explanatory power of 16.7% (p < 0.0001). Pre‐intervention exercise habits (odds ratio [OR] 19.65, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.76–139.97), baseline moderate PA (min/day) (OR 1.03, 95% CI 1.01–1.05) and baseline vigorous PA (min/day) (OR 1.09, 95% CI 1.01–1.18) predicted contamination. Baseline mild PA (10 min/day) (OR 0.94, 95% CI 0.89–0.99) predicted dropout. Conclusions: Pre‐intervention exercise habits and baseline depression levels predicted exercise adherence in the walking group. In the control group, pre‐intervention exercise habits and baseline moderate and vigorous PA predicted contamination. Baseline mild PA predicted dropout rates in both groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Inpatient pediatric obesity treatments are highly effective, although dropouts and weight regain threaten long-term results. Preliminary data indicate that leptin, adiponectin, and cardiometabolic comorbidities might predict treatment outcomes. Previous studies have mainly focused on the individual role of adipokines and comorbidities, which is counterintuitive, as these risk factors tend to cluster. This study aimed to predict the dropouts and treatment outcomes by pre-treatment patient characteristics extended with cardiometabolic comorbidities (individually and in total), leptin, and adiponectin. Methods: Children aged 8–18 years were assessed before, immediately after and 6 months after a 12-month inpatient obesity treatment. Anthropometric data were collected at each visit. Pre-treatment lipid profiles; glucose, insulin, leptin, and adiponectin levels; and blood pressure were measured. The treatment outcome was evaluated by the change in body mass index (BMI) standard deviation score (SDS) corrected for age and sex. Results: We recruited 144 children with a mean age of 14.3 ± 2.2 years and a mean BMI of 36.7 ± 6.2 kg/m2 corresponding to 2.7 ± 0.4 BMI SDS. The 57 patients who dropped out during treatment and the 44 patients who dropped out during aftercare had a higher pre-treatment BMI compared to the patients who completed the treatment (mean BMI, 38.3 ± 6.8 kg/m2 vs 35.7 ± 5.5 kg/m2) and those who completed aftercare (mean BMI, 34.6 ± 5.3 kg/m2 vs 37.7 ± 6.3 kg/m2) (all p<0.05). Additionally, aftercare attenders were younger than non-attenders (mean age, 13.4 ± 2.3 years vs 14.9 ± 2.0, p<0.05). Patients lost on average 1.0 ± 0.4 SDS during treatment and regained 0.4 ± 0.3 SDS post-treatment corresponding to regain of 43 ± 27% (calculated as the increase in BMI SDS post-treatment over the BMI SDS lost during treatment). A higher BMI and more comorbidities inversely predicted BMI SDS reduction in linear regression (all p<0.05). The absolute BMI SDS increase after returning home was predicted by pre-treatment leptin and systolic blood pressure, whereas the post-treatment BMI SDS regain was predicted by pre-treatment age, leptin, and adiponectin levels (all p<0.05) in multivariate linear regressions. Conclusion: Patients who need treatment the most are at increased risk for dropouts and weight regain, emphasizing the urgent need for interventions to reduce dropout and support inpatients after discharge. Furthermore, this study is the first to report that pre-treatment leptin and adiponectin levels predict post-treatment BMI SDS regain, requiring further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundInpatient pediatric obesity treatments are highly effective, although dropouts and weight regain threaten long-term results. Preliminary data indicate that leptin, adiponectin, and cardiometabolic comorbidities might predict treatment outcomes. Previous studies have mainly focused on the individual role of adipokines and comorbidities, which is counterintuitive, as these risk factors tend to cluster. This study aimed to predict the dropouts and treatment outcomes by pre-treatment patient characteristics extended with cardiometabolic comorbidities (individually and in total), leptin, and adiponectin.MethodsChildren aged 8–18 years were assessed before, immediately after and 6 months after a 12-month inpatient obesity treatment. Anthropometric data were collected at each visit. Pre-treatment lipid profiles; glucose, insulin, leptin, and adiponectin levels; and blood pressure were measured. The treatment outcome was evaluated by the change in body mass index (BMI) standard deviation score (SDS) corrected for age and sex.ResultsWe recruited 144 children with a mean age of 14.3 ± 2.2 years and a mean BMI of 36.7 ± 6.2 kg/m2 corresponding to 2.7 ± 0.4 BMI SDS. The 57 patients who dropped out during treatment and the 44 patients who dropped out during aftercare had a higher pre-treatment BMI compared to the patients who completed the treatment (mean BMI, 38.3 ± 6.8 kg/m2 vs 35.7 ± 5.5 kg/m2) and those who completed aftercare (mean BMI, 34.6 ± 5.3 kg/m2 vs 37.7 ± 6.3 kg/m2) (all p

Introduction: perceived social support (PSS) is considered an important factor to lessen the negative effects of stressful events. Likewise, the literature suggests a beneficial impact on the evolution of different diseases. However, little is known about the relationship between PSS and treatment completion in methamphetamine-dependent individuals who receive help in a forced manner. Objective: to evaluate the effect of perceived social support (PSS) on treatment completion in methamphetamine-dependent individuals. Methods: prospective study with a cohort of 67 men on whom PSS, addiction severity, anxiety, and depression were assessed. Results: analysis of variance of prospectively obtained data showed that age, years of drug use, and PSS differed between those who completed the treatment and those who did not. Logistic regression analysis showed that increases in PSS (Odds Ratio, OR = .970, Confidence Interval - CI 95 % = .943 - .999) were predictive of a decrease in the probability of completing the treatment, while age had the opposite effect (OR = 1.117, CI 95 % = .1.027 - 1.215). Discussion and conclusion: these results show that the role of social support in the treatment of chronic conditions is complex and suggest the need to study the nature and quality of the social interactions that lead to therapeutic success.

Objective: The objective of the study was to investigate dropout rates and discern potential factors contributing to the discontinuation of treatment provided to transgender individuals by the Transdisciplinary Gender Identity Program at the Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (PROTIG)., Methodology: This study employs a descriptive, cross-sectional, retrospective design to analyze socio-demographic and clinical data obtained from medical records of patients treated at PROTIG between 2000 and 2018. A structured form, devised by PROTIG's professional team, was utilized to extract and evaluate several variables including: age, gender, education level, diagnosis of F64 according to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10: Version: 2010), clinical comorbidities (coded by ICD-10), laboratory diagnosis of sexually transmitted infections, distance between patients' residence and the hospital, and year of entry into PROTIG. The patient cohort was stratified into two categories based on their duration of attendance: dropout (defined as attendance for up to 365 days) and non-dropout (attendance exceeding 365 days). Categorical variables between dropout and non-dropout groups were compared using Pearson's chi-square test. Additionally, Poisson regression analysis was utilized, employing a 95% confidence interval (CI) and setting the significance level at 0.05., Results: The study included a total of 888 patients accessing PROTIG, with 275 (31%) classified in the dropout group. Of the patient population, 65.5% ( n  = 582) self-identified as transgender women, while 34.5% ( n  = 306) identified as transgender men. Significant differences were noted between the dropout and non-dropout groups. Specifically, differences were noted among transgender women ( p  < 0.001), individuals with lower levels of education ( p  < 0.001), those with fewer diagnoses classified under ICD-10 as F64 ( p  < 0.001), individuals exhibiting fewer clinical comorbidities recorded in ICD-10 ( p  < 0.001), and those who commenced inclusion in PROTIG after 2010 ( p  < 0.001)., Conclusion: There exists a notable rate of treatment discontinuation among individuals receiving care at PROTIG, with statistically significant variances observed between groups. We posit potential rationales for this discontinuation, informed by care experiences and feedback from group attendees: Increased accessibility to outpatient services in our jurisdiction for Transgender Care, along with heightened societal awareness of gender identity fostering diverse gender expression avenues devoid of reliance on gender-affirming surgical interventions., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Guadagnin, Schwarz, Cardoso da Silva, Salati, Kayser and Lobato.)

Introduction Voluntary dropouts before completion of inpatient psychiatric treatment are common in patients with dual disorders. However, the socioeconomic profile and family structure of patients who undergo a therapeutic program may correlate with their motivation and participation in the treatment received, as well as with their subsequent recovery. Objectives To evaluate the family typology of patients with dual diagnosis according to the degree of intrafamily cohesion and adaptability correlated with the prediction of therapeutic success and the risk of voluntary abandonment of hospital detoxification treatment. Methods A total of 211 patients admitted to an inpatient psychiatric unit with substance use disorders were studied. Data were obtained from two sources: (1) interview of participants, (2) review of participants’ medical records using the Maudsley Addiction Profile (MAP) and the Family Cohesion and Adaptability Assessment Scale (FACES III). Results The 127 subjects who completed the hospital detoxification program had significantly lower MAP and FACES III scores at baseline than the 84 subjects who did not complete the study. Those who did not complete the admission reported greater addictive severity and poorer family functioning. Family cohesion and adaptability measured with FACES III and addictive severity assessed with MAP positively correlated with successful compliance with the hospital treatment program for dual diagnosis patients. Conclusions These findings reveal the association of psychosocial and family determinants and addictive severity with treatment completion and subsequent prognostic evolution. Recognizing these predictive characteristics may allow early identification of patients at higher risk of early dropout and prevent it by increasing the intensity of treatment.

Background: Effective provision of bariatric surgery for patients with obesity may be impeded by concerns of payers regarding costs or perceptions of patients who drop out of surgical programs after referral. Estimates of the cost and comorbidity impact of these inefficiencies in gastric bypass surgery in Canada are lacking but would aid in informing healthcare investment and resource allocation.Objectives: To estimate total and relative public payer costs for surgery and comorbidities (diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia) in a bariatric surgery population.Methods: A decision analytic model for a 100-patient cohort in Canada (91% female, mean body mass index 49.2 kg/m2, 50% diabetes, 66% hypertension, 59% dyslipidemia). Costs include surgery, surgical complications, and comorbidities over the 10-year post-referral period. Results are calculated as medians and 95% credibility intervals (CrIs) for a pathway with surgery at 1 year (“improved”) compared with surgery at 3.5 years (“standard”). Sensitivity analyses were performed to test independent contributions to results of shorter wait time, better post-surgical weight loss, and randomly sampled cohort demographics.Results: Compared to standard care, the improved path was associated with reduction in patient-years of treatment for each of the three comorbidities, corresponding to a reduction of $1.1 (0.68–1.6) million, or 34% (26-41%) of total costs. Comorbidity treatment costs were 9.0- and 4.7-fold greater than surgical costs for the standard and improved pathways, respectively. Relative to non-surgical bariatric care, earlier surgery was associated with earlier return on surgical investment and 2-fold reduction in risk of prevalence of each comorbidity compared to delayed surgery.Conclusions: Comorbidity costs represent a greater burden to payers than the costs of gastric bypass surgery. Investments may be worthwhile to reduce wait times and dropout rates and improve post-surgical weight loss outcomes to save overall costs and reduce patient comorbidity prevalence.

Background Loss to follow‐up (LTFU) is common in randomized controlled trials. However, its potential impact on primary outcomes from cardiovascular randomized controlled trials is not known. Methods and Results We conducted a prospective systematic review (PROSPERO: CRD42019121959) for randomized controlled trials published in 8 leading journals over 5 years from January 2014 to December 2018. Extent, reporting, and handling of LTFU data were recorded, and the proportion of a trial's primary outcome results that lose statistical significance was calculated after making plausible assumptions for the intervention and control arms. These assumptions could drive differential treatment effects between the groups considering relative event incidence between LTFU participants and those included in the primary outcome. We identified 117 randomized controlled trials of which 91 (78%) trials reported LTFU, 23 (20%) reported no LTFU, and 3 (3%) trials did not report on whether LTFU occurred. The median percentage of study participants lost to follow‐up was 2% (interquartile range, 0.33%–5.3%). Only 10 trials (9%) had a low cluster of risk factors for impairment in trial quality. The percentage of trials losing statistical significance varied from 2% when the relative event incidence for LTFU between the randomized groups was 1 for the intervention arm and 1.5 for the control arm to 16% when the relative event incidence was 3 for the intervention arm and 1 for the control arm. Conclusions Almost 1 in 6 (16%) cardiovascular randomized trials published in leading journals may have a change in the primary outcome if plausible assumptions are made about differential event rates of participants lost to follow up. There is scope for improvement arising from LTFU in randomized trials in cardiovascular medicine. Registration URL: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero; Unique identifier: CRD42019121959.

Abstract Background Patients dropping out of mental health treatment is considered a widespread and significant obstacle to providing effective treatment, thus reducing the probability of patients achieving the desired improvement. Here, relative to ordinary treatment, we investigate the effects of providing an educational group programme before mental health treatment on mental health symptomatology and the risk of patients dropping out or prematurely discontinuing treatment. Methods A randomized controlled trial in which adults referred to a community mental health center were randomized to either a Control Group (n = 46) or a pretreatment educational programme followed by treatment as usual (Intervention Group, n = 45). The primary outcome was self-reported mental health symptomatology assessed with BASIS-32. Data were analyzed by multilevel linear regression and Cox’s regression. Results We recruited 93 patients during a 26-month period. Assessments were performed before (0 month, baseline) and after the intervention (1 month, before treatment initiation), and after 4 and 12 months. The net difference in BASIS-32 score between 0 and 1-month was − 0.27 (95% confidence interval CI] -0.45 to − 0.09) in favor of the intervention group. Although both groups had a significant and continuous decline in psychopathology during the treatment (from 1 month and throughout the 4- and 12-month follow-up assessments), the group difference detected before treatment (between 0 and 1 month) persisted throughout the study. Premature treatment discontinuation was partially prevented. The dropout risk was 74% lower in the Intervention Group than in the Control Group (hazard ratio 0.26, 95% CI = 0.07–0.93). Conclusions A brief educational intervention provided before mental health treatment seems to have an immediate and long-lasting effect on psychopathology, supplementary to traditional treatment. Such an intervention might also have a promising effect on reducing treatment dropout. Trial registration NCT00967265, clinicaltrials.gov. Registered August 27, 2009, retrospectively registered.

Purpose: Understanding the high rate of treatment adherence in trials of people with eating disorders is important as it can compromise the quality of the trials. In clinical practice, it may also contribute to illness chronicity, relapse, and costs. Thus, we investigated factors associated with adherence to a new treatment HAPIFED, which integrates cognitive behavioural therapy having extended sessions with body weight loss therapy compared to cognitive behavioural therapy with extended sessions alone, for individuals with Bulimia Nervosa or Binge Eating Disorder or other eating disorders comorbid with overweight or obesity. Methods: In total, 98 participants having bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder and other specified and unspecified eating disorders were recruited with 50 randomised to HAPIFED and 48 to the control intervention CBT-E, all administered in groups of up to 10 participants. An investigator external to the site conducted the random allocation, which was concealed from the statistician involved in the analysis, and known only to the therapists until the finalization of the 12-month follow-up after the end of active treatment. Three scenarios in the timeline treatment of a total of 30 sessions were assessed: 33% or 60% or 75% of presence. Mixed-effects logistic regression analysis was performed to find the correlates of adherence after adjusting for clustering by number of group participants. To account for heterogeneity by types of eating disorders in the sample, the latter variable was considered as a control factor in the models. A subgroup analysis was performed for those with binge eating disorder as this was the largest (N = 66) eating disorder group. Results: None of the six variables—frequency of binge eating episodes, purging, eating disorder symptom severity, weight, illness duration and mental health-related quality of life—significantly predicted adherence at 33%, but longer illness duration predicted higher treatment adherence at both 60% and 75% presence of the interventions. Also for 75% presence, higher body weight predicted lower treatment adherence. For the subgroup analysis, those having higher illness duration had significantly higher odds of treatment adherence for 60% and 75% of the sessions. Conclusions: Higher adherence due to late treatment completion was associated with longer binge eating illness length and a lower body weight. More research is needed to recognize factors that may interfere with engagement in treatments aiming to avoid early dropout.

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The effectiveness of opiate treatment programs (OTPs) can be significantly influenced by co-occurring substance use, yet there are no standardized guidelines for assessing the influence of co-occurring substance use on treatment outcomes. In this review, we aim to provide an overview on the status of the assessment of co-occurring substance use during participation in OTPs in the United States. We searched 4 databases-MEDLINE/PubMed, EMBASE, PsychINFO, and the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL)-from database inception to November 2018 to select relevant publications on OTPs that assessed participants' co-occurring substance use. We used a standardized protocol to extract study, intervention, and co-occurring substance use characteristics. Methodological quality was assessed using the Quality in Prognosis Studies tool. Of the 3,219 titles screened, 614 abstracts and 191 full-text original publications were assessed, leaving 85 eligible articles. Co-occurring substance use was most often assessed during opioid treatments using combined (pharmacological and behavioral) (n = 57 studies) and pharmacological (n = 25 studies) interventions. Cocaine, alcohol, marijuana, and benzodiazepines were frequently measured, while amphetamines and tobacco were rarely assessed. Great variation existed between studies in the timing and measurement of co-occurring substance use, as well as definitions for substances and polysubstance/polydrug use. Inconsistencies in the investigation of co-occurring substance use make comparison of results across studies challenging. Standardized measures and consensus on research on co-occurring substance use is needed to produce the evidence required to develop personalized treatment programs for persons using multiple substances and to inform best-practice guidelines for addressing polydrug use during participation in OTPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Bariatric surgery is underutilized. Objectives To identify factors associated with eligible patient dropout from bariatric surgery. Setting University hospital, United States. Methods Eligible candidates were identified after a multidisciplinary review committee (MRC) of all patients (n = 484) who attended a bariatric surgery informational session (BIS) at a single-center academic institution in 2015. We compared patients who underwent surgery within 2 years of BIS with those who did not (i.e., dropped out) by evaluating patient, insurance, and program-specific variables. Univariate analyses and multivariable regressions were performed to identify factors associated with patient dropout among eligible candidates. Results We identified 307 (63%) patients who underwent MRC. Thirty-three (11%) patients were deemed poor candidates and surgery was not recommended. Among eligible candidates, 82 (30%) dropped out from the program. Factors independently associated with eligible patient dropout included coronary artery disease (odds ratio [OR].13 [.02–.66]; P =.014), hypertension (OR.46 [.24–.87]; P =.017), time from BIS to MRC (OR.99 [.99–.99]; P =.002), 3 months of medically supervised weight loss documentation (OR.09 [.02–.51]; P =.007), endocrinology clearance (OR.26 [.09–.76]; P =.014), hematology clearance (OR.37 [.14–.95]; P =.039), urine drug screen testing (OR.31 [.13–.72]; P =.006), additional psychological evaluation (OR.43 [.20–.93]; P =.031), and required extra sessions with the dietician (OR.39 [.17–.92]; P =.032). Thirty-three (6.8%) patients underwent surgery at another institution, and 42% of these patients lived more than 50 miles from attended BIS site. Conclusions Twenty-seven percent of patients did not undergo bariatric surgery at their initial site of evaluation despite being considered eligible candidates after MRC. Dropout was independently associated with patient, insurance, and program-specific variables that may represent barriers to care amenable to improvement. Graphical abstract Image, graphical abstract Eligible Candidate Dropout from Bariatric Surgery is Independently Associated with Patient, Insurance, and Bariatric Program-specific Factors. MRC, multidisciplinary review committee; CAD, coronary artery disease; HTN, hypertension; BIS, bariatric informational session; MSWLD, medically supervised weight loss documentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Guidelines recommend long-term treatment for opioid use disorder including the use of buprenorphine; however, many patients desire to eventually taper off. This study examines the prevalence and patient characteristics of patients that voluntarily taper off buprenorphine.Methods: This is a 12-year retrospective cohort study of adults on buprenorphine in a large urban safety-net primary care practice. The primary outcome was completion of a voluntary buprenorphine taper, which was further characterized as a medically supervised or unsupervised taper. The secondary outcome was re-engagement in care after taper. Descriptive statistics and estimated proportions of both taper completion and re-engagement in treatment were calculated using Kaplan-Meier estimates.Results: The study sample included 1308 patients with a median follow-up time of 316 days; 48 patients were observed to taper off buprenorphine during the study period, with an estimated proportion of 15% (95%CI: 10%-21%) based on Kaplan Meier analyses. Less than half of the tapers, 45.8% (22/48), were medically supervised. Thirteen of the 48 patients subsequently, re-engaged in buprenorphine treatment (estimated proportion 61%, 95%CI: 27%-96%), based on Kaplan-Meier analyses with median follow-up time of 490 days.Discussion: Despite the fact that many patients desire to discontinue buprenorphine, a minority had a documented taper. Among those who tapered, more than half did so unsupervised by the clinic and a majority of those who tapered off returned to buprenorphine treatment within two years. As many patients are unable to successfully taper off buprenorphine, the medical community must work to address any barriers to long-term maintenance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: A large proportion of psychotherapy patients remain untreated, mostly because they drop out. This study compares the short- and long-term outcomes of patients who dropped out of psychotherapy to those of therapy completers. Methods: The sample included 63 patients (23 dropouts and 40 completers) from a controlled clinical trial, which compared narrative therapy vs. cognitive-behavioral therapy for major depressive disorder. Patients were assessed at the eighth session, post-treatment, and at 31-month follow-up. Results: Dropouts improved less than completers by the last session attended, but continued to improve significantly more than completers during the follow-up period. Some dropout patients improved with a small dose of therapy (17% achieved a clinically significant change before abandoning treatment), while others only achieved clinically significant change after a longer period (62% at 31-month follow-up). Conclusion: These results emphasize the importance of dealing effectively with patients at risk of dropping out of therapy. Patients who dropped out also reported improvement of depressive symptoms without therapy, but took much longer to improve than did patients who completed therapy. This might be attributable to natural remission of depression. Further research should use a larger patient database, ideally gathered by meta-analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: A large proportion of psychotherapy patients remain untreated, mostly because they drop out. This study compares the short- and long-term outcomes of patients who dropped out of psychotherapy to those of therapy completers. Methods: The sample included 63 patients (23 dropouts and 40 completers) from a controlled clinical trial, which compared narrative therapy vs. cognitive-behavioral therapy for major depressive disorder. Patients were assessed at the eighth session, post-treatment, and at 31-month follow-up. Results: Dropouts improved less than completers by the last session attended, but continued to improve significantly more than completers during the follow-up period. Some dropout patients improved with a small dose of therapy (17% achieved a clinically significant change before abandoning treatment), while others only achieved clinically significant change after a longer period (62% at 31-month follow-up). Conclusion: These results emphasize the importance of dealing effectively with patients at risk of dropping out of therapy.Patients who dropped out also reported improvement of depressive symptoms without therapy, but took much longer to improve than did patients who completed therapy. This might be attributable to natural remission of depression. Further research should use a larger patient database, ideally gathered by meta-analysis.

Introduction: Patients with opioid use disorder often require multiple treatment attempts before achieving stable recovery. Rates of disengagement from buprenorphine are highest in the first month of treatment and termination of buprenorphine therapy results in return to use rates as high as 90%. To better characterize these at-risk patients, this study aims to describe: 1) the frequency and characteristics of patients with very early disengagement (≤1month) from Office Based Opioid Treatment (OBOT) with buprenorphine and 2) the frequency and characteristics of patients who re-engage in care at this same OBOT clinic within 2years, among the subset of very early disengagers.Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study of adult patients enrolled in a large urban OBOT program. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize the sample and the proportion of patients with very early (≤1month) disengagement and their re-engagement. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to identify patient characteristics associated with the outcomes of very early disengagement and re-engagement. Potential predictors included: sex, age, race/ethnicity, education, employment, opioid use history, prior substance use treatments, urine drug testing, and psychiatric diagnoses.Results: Overall, very early disengagement was unusual, with only 8.4% (104/1234) of patients disengaging within the first month. Among the subset of very early disengagers with 2years of follow-up, the proportion who re-engaged with this OBOT program in the subsequent 2years was 11.9% (10/84). Urine drug test positive for opiates within the first month (AOR: 2.01, 95% CI: 1.02-3.93) was associated with increased odds of very early disengagement. Transferring from another buprenorphine prescriber (AOR: 0.09, 95% CI: 0.01-0.70) was associated with decreased odds of very early disengagement. No characteristics were significantly associated with re-engagement.Conclusions: Early disengagement is uncommon; however, continued opioid use appeared to be associated with higher odds of treatment disengagement and these patients may warrant additional support. Re-engagement was uncommon, suggesting the need for a more formal explicit system to encourage and facilitate re-engagement among patients who disengage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the Patient-Therapist Interaction Assessment Form (PTIA-F), which was developed to predict psychotherapy dropouts from third session of a psychotherapy process. Method: The PTIA-F was developed by the authors based on the studies which were focused on therapeutic alliance ruptures, prevention of psychotherapy dropouts and the relationship between alliance ruptures and dropouts. The PTIA-F has 42 items and score range is between -15 and +27. In parallel with the aim of the study 4 clinical psychologist rated dropped out (n=19,14 female and 5 male, MAge=22.68, SDAge=3.83) and completed psychotherapies' (n=20,15 female and 5 male, MAge=28.08, SDAge=7.36) third sessions according to the PTIA-F. Results: The dropout and completed process groups were not differentiate in terms of Early Close Relationship Inventory-II and Symptom Checklist; therapeutic alliance rating in 3rd sessions and therapists age. The patients' age was significantly lower in dropout group. Results showed that the PTIA-F has strong interrater reliability (ICC=0.50-0.71, F(41,123)=2.02-3.47, p < .01). The t-test result which was conducted to test the PTIA-F between groups, was not statistically significant but there was promising results for the future studies (MDropout=4.26,SDDropout=5.35; MCompleted=3.45 , SDCompleted=3.33). Conclusion: Although the PTIA-F has promising results to predict psychotherapy dropouts from early phase of psychotherapy process, further studies examining the psychometric properties of the instrument more comprehensively are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Guidelines recommend long-term treatment for opioid use disorder with buprenorphine; however, little is known about patients in long-term treatment. The aim of this study is to examine the prevalence and patient characteristics of long-term treatment retention (≥1year) in an Office Based Opioid Treatment (OBOT) program with buprenorphine.Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study of adults on buprenorphine from January 2002 to February 2014 in a large urban safety-net primary care OBOT program. The primary outcome was retention in OBOT for at least one continuous year. Potential predictors included age, race, psychiatric diagnoses, hepatitis C, employment, prior buprenorphine, ever heroin use, current cocaine, benzodiazepine and alcohol use on enrollment. Factors associated with ≥1year OBOT retention were identified using generalized estimating equation logistic regression models. Patients who re-enrolled in the program contributed repeated observations.Results: There were 1605 OBOT treatment periods among 1237 patients in this study. Almost half, 45% (717/1605), of all treatment periods were ≥1year and a majority, 53.7% (664/1237), of patients had at least one ≥1year period. In adjusted analyses, female gender (Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR] 1.55, 95% CI [1.20, 2.00]) psychiatric diagnosis (AOR 1.75 [1.35, 2.27]) and age (AOR 1.19 per 10year increase [1.05, 1.34]) were associated with greater odds of ≥1year retention. Unemployment (AOR 0.72 [0.56, 0.92]), Hepatitis C (AOR 0.59 [0.45, 0.76]), black race/ethnicity (AOR 0.53 [0.36, 0.78]) and Hispanic race/ethnicity (AOR 0.66 [0.48, 0.92]) were associated with lower odds of ≥1year retention.Conclusions: Over half of patients who presented to Office Based Opioid Treatment with buprenorphine were ultimately successfully retained for ≥1year. However, significant disparities in one-year treatment retention were observed, including poorer retention for patients who were younger, black, Hispanic, unemployed, or with hepatitis C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION: In the female population, adherence to specialist clinical treatment for psychoactive substance dependence has peculiar characteristics in terms of therapeutic approaches available to addicts in general. A smaller number of women seek specialist treatment in comparison with men. Traditionally, most health care services specializing in chemical dependence provide similar therapies to both men or women, including the use of mixed-sex groups at some facilities. OBJECTIVE: To discuss the views or psychological meanings attributed by women with substance use disorders to phenomena associated with adherence to treatment at a specialist university outpatient clinic. METHODS: The qualitative-clinical method was used, i.e., an approach characterized by the typically qualitative focus of human sciences adapted to health care settings. The semi-structured interview technique with open questions was used for data collection, combined with observation of the women interviewed. Data were processed using qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: Three categories of treatment outcomes emerged: 1) significant motivations to seek and follow the treatment proposed; 2) symbolic meanings attributed to the drug; 3) psychological representations of lack of motivation to explain difficulties adhering to treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that the motivations of addicted women to seek treatment vary, but highlight the fact that the substance used becomes perceived as something that causes significant losses and hinders the proper exercise of women’s role in family and social contexts. A warm welcoming is considered essential for a patient to adhere to treatment, offsetting the strong physical pleasure associated with psychoactive substance use.INTRODUÇÃO: Na população feminina, a adesão a tratamentos clínicos especializados em dependência de substâncias psicoativas tem características peculiares quando se considera as abordagens terapêuticas disponíveis para a população dependente geral. Um número menor de mulheres em comparação a homens procura tratamento especializado. Tradicionalmente, os serviços de atenção a dependentes químicos oferecem terapias semelhantes para homens e mulheres, incluindo grupos mistos em alguns serviços. OBJETIVO: Discutir os significados psicológicos atribuídos por mulheres dependentes de substâncias psicoativas a fenômenos associados à adesão ao tratamento em um ambulatório universitário especializado. MÉTODO: Foi utilizado o método clínico-qualitativo, isto é, uma abordagem caracterizada pelo enfoque tipicamente qualitativo das ciências humanas adaptado ao contexto da saúde. Adotou-se a técnica de entrevista semiestruturada com questões abertas na coleta dos dados, combinada com observação das mulheres entrevistadas. Os dados obtidos foram tratados utilizando análise qualitativa de conteúdo. RESULTADOS: Três categorias de desfecho de tratamento foram identificadas: 1) motivações significativas para buscar e seguir o tratamento proposto; 2) significados simbólicos atribuídos à substância química; 3) representações psicológicas de desmotivação para explicar a dificuldade em aderir ao tratamento. CONCLUSÕES: Nossos achados sugerem que as motivações que levam mulheres dependentes a procurar tratamento são múltiplas, destacando-se o fato de que a substância utilizada passa a ser percebida como algo que traz perdas relevantes e prejudica o exercício adequado do papel feminino nos âmbitos familiar e social. Um acolhimento adequado é considerado fundamental para que a paciente prossiga seu tratamento, compensando o forte prazer físico associado ao uso da substância psicoativa.

Background In vitro fertilization (IVF) and intra cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) are recognized as established and increasingly successful forms of treatment for infertility, yet significant numbers of couples discontinue treatment without achieving a live birth. This study aims to identify major factors that influence the decision to discontinue IVF/ICSI treatments. Materials and methods We studied the data of 338 couples who discontinued their infertility treatments after three cycles; based on medical records and phone contact. The main measure was the reason for stopping their treatments. Results Economical problems were cited by 212 couples (62.7%), as their mean income was significantly less than other couples (p

Purpose: Contact lenses offer a good option for patients with presbyopia, especially with improved optical designs available in modern multifocal contact lenses. Due to the ageing population there is good opportunity to increase contact lens penetration by managing these patients better. However, multifocal contact lenses achieve low penetration in the market.Methods: A questionnaire was administered to people aged above 40 years, to investigate their perceptions of contact lenses for presbyopia. Only people, with presbyopia, who were existing contact lens wearers or willing to try contact lenses were included. Participants were recruited from United Kingdom (UK), United States of America (USA), Netherlands, Germany, France, Spain and Italy.Results: Data from 1540 participants above the age of 40 years was collected, 57.9% were females and 42.1% males. Overall, 50.8% of the participants wore contact lenses, but contact lens wear was less common amongst older participants. Some data supported earlier studies, such as 6.1% wore gas permeable lenses. However, only 25% of the contact lens wearers used multifocal contact lenses. The reasons the participants wanted to wear contact lenses were similar to younger patient such as sports or cosmesis reasons. Reasons why participants had dropped out of contact lenses included discomfort and dry eye related issues. Poor visual performance with contact lenses was a reason to dropout of contact lenses for the older participants.Conclusions: The study highlights some failings by eye care practitioners in the management of patients with presbyopia. It seems that patients of this age group are seeking suggestions and recommendations from their eye care practitioner including upgrading contact lenses and dual wear options. The day-to-day problems encountered by the contact lens wearers in this study seem to be, in the main, things that could be easily tackled by additional counselling and instruction from the eye care practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patient dropout from treatment can lead to a deterioration in clinical condition, thereby increasing the need for more intensive therapy that incurs substantial social and economic losses. The aim of this study was to identify factors related to psychiatric patient dropout at a university outpatient clinic in Japan. Methods: We retrospectively examined the medical charts of new psychiatric patients who were diagnosed with either a mood disorder (International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision, code: F3) or an anxiety disorder (F4) in the outpatient clinic at Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine Hospital in Kyoto, Japan, between April 2010 and March 2013. The baseline characteristics of the patients (age, sex, Global Assessment of Functioning score, Clinical Global Impression-Severity of Illness score, education, occupation, marital status, duration of treatment, and prior treatment history), treating psychiatrist experience in years, and sex concordance between the patients and their treating psychiatrists were analyzed using Cox regression models. Results: From among 1,626 eligible new patients during the study period, 532 patients were enrolled in the study (F3: n=176; F4: n=356). The dropout rate was 35.7%, which was similar to that of previous studies. Higher educational level, being married, and lower Global Assessment of Functioning scores were associated with a lower dropout rate. Although psychiatrist experience was not significantly associated with patient dropout in the multivariate analysis, patients treated by less experienced psychiatrists had a higher hazard ratio for dropout (1.31; 95% confidence interval: 0.94-1.85). Conclusion: In order to reduce the dropout rate, special focus should be placed on patients with the factors identified in this study, and young psychiatrists should undergo further education to foster adherence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To investigate the role of sociodemographic factors in failure to complete outpatient cardiac rehabilitation (CR). Methods This was a retrospective study that used information obtained from the database of the cardiac rehabilitation department of a cardiac hospital in Iran. Data from 1,050 CR patients treated at the hospital between January 2001 and January 2013 was analyzed using binary logistic regression analysis. Results Only 49% of the patients completed the CR program. After adjustment for baseline variables, it was found that the following were significantly associated with failure to complete the CR program: illiteracy (p<0.001), old age (p<0.001), being an employee or retired (p<0.05), having a low capacity for exercise (p<0.001), depression (p<0.001), low anxiety (p<0.001), and not currently being a smoker (p<0.001). Conclusion Paying more attention to older patients with low literacy levels and limited exercise capacity, who are employed or retired, and who are not current smokers, and taking therapeutic measures to control psychological complications such as depression, may be effective in ensuring that patients complete outpatient cardiac rehabilitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: To characterize an outpatient public referral center for mental health and to assess factors associated with treatment dropout. METHODS: A non-concurrent prospective study was undertaken to review 295 patient files. Patients, whose first consultation took place between January and December 1997, were followed-up for at least four months until April 1998. Patients were considered as having abandoned their treatment when, following a recommendation for at least a second visit, they did not return within four months after the first consultation. Social, demographic and clinical variables were compared to verify possible factors associated with dropout of treatment. Statistical analysis was performed using relative hazard (RR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) estimated by the Cox Regression Model. RESULTS: Cumulative incidence of treatment dropout was 39.2% while multivariate analysis indicated that the following characteristics were statistically associated with treatment interruption: to live outside the referral area (RR = 1.95), no history of previous psychiatric hospitalizations (RR = 1.88), alcohol or drug use at admission (RR = 1.72), spontaneous demand to the service (RR = 2.12), lack of bus-passes (RR = 3.68) and to have less than four clinical appointments (RR = 7.31). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that services should be aware of the high incidence of treatment interruption, especially among those with no history of previous psychiatric hospitalizations and with less institutional bonds. This may indicate that mental health services should develop and implement public policies targeted at this population.OBJETIVO: Caracterizar a clientela de um serviço comunitário de saúde mental e avaliar os fatores relacionados ao abandono de tratamento. MÉTODOS: Trata-se de um estudo do tipo prospectivo não-concorrente, com revisão de 295 prontuários médicos. Os pacientes com primeira consulta entre janeiro e dezembro de 1997 foram acompanhados por pelo menos quatro meses até abril de 1998. Foram considerados abandonos aqueles que, após indicação de pelo menos um retorno, não voltaram ao serviço por mais de quatro meses da data da última consulta. Variáveis sociodemográficas e clínicas foram comparadas para verificar fatores associados ao abandono de tratamento. A análise estatística incluiu Relative Hazard - RR com intervalo de 95% de confiança (IC) estimado pelo Modelo proporcional de Cox. RESULTADOS: A incidência acumulada de abandono de tratamento foi de 39,2%. A análise multivariada mostrou que uso de álcool ou drogas na admissão (RR = 1,72), não ter história de internação psiquiátrica anterior (RR = 1,88), residir fora das regionais de abrangência do serviço (RR = 1,95), não receber vale-transporte (RR = 3,68), vir ao serviço por demanda espontânea (RR = 2,12) e contar com menos de quatro consultas ambulatoriais (RR = 7,31) tratavam-se de fatores de risco independentes para a ocorrência de abandono de tratamento. CONCLUSÃO: Esses achados sugerem que os serviços psiquiátricos devem se atentar para a alta incidência de abandono de tratamento, principalmente entre os pacientes que não são egressos de internações psiquiátricas e com menores vínculos institucionais, indicando que esses grupos necessitam de abordagem e ações especiais que devem ser implementadas enquanto políticas públicas em serviços semelhantes.

Background Increasing use of opioids has led to an increase in the number of pregnant and postpartum women in medication assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder. Methods We (1) conducted a systematic review of published literature on MAT discontinuation (methadone and buprenorphine) in pregnant and postpartum women and (2) determined methadone discontinuation rates in a retrospective cohort (2006–2013) of pregnant and postpartum women in a university affiliated methadone clinic. Results We found limited generalizable literature reports of discontinuation rates, with a range of prenatal discontinuation rates from 0 to 33% and rates which spanned various prenatal and postnatal periods from 26 to 64%. In our cohort of 229 women, 251 pregnancies were reported, with a prenatal methadone discontinuation rate of 11.0%. Based on a Cox proportional hazards model controlling for age, pregnancy outcome, and duration of treatment prior to delivery, the probability of methadone discontinuation at or before 6 months postpartum was 56.0%. Duration of methadone treatment prior to delivery was inversely associated with risk for postpartum discontinuation of treatment (HR = 0.98, 95% CI (0.96, 0.99)). Conclusions We conclude that the postpartum period is a time of increased risk for discontinuation of MAT. More accurate assessment of rates of pre- and postpartum MAT discontinuation, as well as further investigation of factors affecting these rates, is warranted. Development and testing of interventions to encourage early prenatal enrollment in MAT and improve postnatal retention in MAT would benefit pregnant women and new mothers with opioid use disorder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study explored the views, barriers and facilitators of the poorly-educated elderly who were non-attendee of the nurse-led case manager clinic. The case managers provide assessment for diabetes complication screening and can refer patients to the appropriate multidisciplinary team in public outpatient primary care setting. Methods: We adopted qualitative research method by individual semi-structured face to face interviews. Nineteen Chinese type 2 diabetes mellitus subjects aged ≥ 60 who failed to attend the nurse-led case manager clinic were interviewed. They all came from a socially deprived urban district in Hong Kong. Content and thematic analysis was performed. Results: Seven men and twelve women aged 60 to 89 were interviewed. Nine of them received no formal education and ten of them attended up to primary school. The reasons for non-attendance included attitude and poor knowledge towards diabetes complication screening and confusion of the nurse-led clinic as an educational talk. Most respondents could not understand the reason for the screening of diabetic complications, the concept of multidisciplinary care and the procedure and outcomes of nurse assessment. Five respondents were unable to follow multiple appointments because they could not read. Other reasons included physical barriers and comorbidity, family and financial constraint. They either had a tight daily schedule because of the need to take care of family members, or the family members who brought them to clinic had difficulty in attending multiple appointments. Enhanced understanding of the importance and procedure of diabetes multidisciplinary management, a flexible appointment system and a single clear appointment sheet may facilitate their attendance. Conclusion: Poorly-educated Chinese elderly with DM and their care givers faced physical, social and psychological barriers when attending the nurse-led case manager clinic. Strategies targeting on their low literacy include effective communication and education by health care professionals to arrive a shared understanding of care plan as well as a flexible appointment and schedule system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Even though it is expected that patients and therapist will agree on when to terminate psychotherapy, quite often patients discontinue treatment on their own. This study aims to better understand dropout in psychoanalytic psychotherapy (PP). Method: Baseline and post-treatment interviews were conducted with six adult women classified by their therapists as dropout patients at a PP outpatient clinic. Results were analyzed using Bardin's content analysis. Results: Content analysis generated five categories (reasons for treatment, goals, readiness to change, previous treatment, transference) for the baseline interviews and three categories (change process, results, interruption) for post-treatment interviews. Unclear treatment goals, low readiness to change, early signs of negative transference and resistance, and absence of recognition of their own participation in problems emerged in baseline interviews. In most cases, the patient's evaluation of the therapeutic relationship was not determinant of dropout. Therapeutic gains, dissatisfaction, and resistance during the psychotherapeutic process seemed to be associated with noncompliance. Conclusions: Decisions to initiate, continue, or quit PP depend on multiple factors, such as initial goals, readiness to change, insight capacity, awareness of personal problems, resistance, and transference. However, these factors should be considered in view of the methodological limitations of this study. Further investigation of PP dropout is still necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Bariatric surgery is recognized as a treatment for severe obesity; however, little is known about factors influencing patient surgery non-completion. This study explored the relationship between psychiatric factors and patient non-completion during the pre-bariatric surgery suitability assessment. Methods: A total of 367 individuals underwent a structured psychiatric interview and were classified as either surgery completers (SC) or surgery non-completers (SNC) if they attended at least one pre-surgery assessment appointment but did not receive surgery. Results: The results showed that in comparison to the SC group, the SNC group had significantly higher rates of overall past Axis I psychiatric disorders (58.1 vs. 46.6 %, p = 0.035), past anxiety disorders (17.4 vs. 9.4 %, p = 0.03), and past substance use disorders (8.7 vs. 3.7 %, p = 0.03). For specific past psychiatric disorders, the SNC group exhibited significantly higher rates of a past post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (5 vs. 1 %, p = 0.029) and past substance dependence disorder (7 vs. 1 %, p = 0.005). Although overall current psychiatric disorders did not significantly differ between groups, the SNC group had significantly higher rates of current PTSD (2 vs. 0 %, p = 0.049) and current generalized anxiety disorder (4 vs. 0 %, p = 0.005). Conclusions: A past history of an anxiety or substance use disorder may play a role in patients not completing the assessment component of the bariatric surgery process. Additional psychosocial support, such as cognitive behavioral therapy or targeted psychoeducation, may help improve patient completion of the pre-surgery assessment phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: In the female population, adherence to specialist clinical treatment for psychoactive substance dependence has peculiar characteristics in terms of therapeutic approaches available to addicts in general. A smaller number of women seek specialist treatment in comparison with men. Traditionally, most health care services specializing in chemical dependence provide similar therapies to both men or women, including the use of mixed-sex groups at some facilities. Objective: To discuss the views or psychological meanings attributed by women with substance use disorders to phenomena associated with adherence to treatment at a specialist university outpatient clinic. Methods: The qualitative-clinical method was used, i.e., an approach characterized by the typically qualitative focus of human sciences adapted to health care settings. The semi-structured interview technique with open questions was used for data collection, combined with observation of the women interviewed. Data were processed using qualitative content analysis. Results: Three categories of treatment outcomes emerged: 1) significant motivations to seek and follow the treatment proposed; 2) symbolic meanings attributed to the drug; 3) psychological representations of lack of motivation to explain difficulties adhering to treatment. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that the motivations of addicted women to seek treatment vary, but highlight the fact that the substance used becomes perceived as something that causes significant losses and hinders the proper exercise of women's role in family and social contexts. A warm welcoming is considered essential for a patient to adhere to treatment, offsetting the strong physical pleasure associated with psychoactive substance use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction In 2005, China commenced its mental health reform by establishing a national program to move from a hospital-based service model to an integrated hospital and community treatment model for psychoses, adopting the key principles of and provisions for continuity of care, treatment accessibility and equitable mental health care. This paper reports the rate and associated factors of treatment dropout for patients with psychoses in the national program in Guangdong Province from 2006 to 2009. Methods Adult patients with psychoses followed-up in two demonstration sites in Guangdong Province were grouped as treatment dropout if they were lost to follow-up for three consecutive months. Dropout rate was estimated, and associated factors were explored with multifactor binary logistic regression analysis. Results Of 1,386 patients followed up from 2006 to 2009, 73 patients (5.29%) dropped out (five deceased patients were excluded). Poor adherence to medication, having no medication, and having worse global clinical outcome contributed to increased risk of dropout by 12.765 ( P = 0.0017), 7.400 ( P = 0.0063) and 6.385 times ( P = 0.0207), respectively. When course of illness increased by five years, the risk of dropout increased by 1.322 times ( P = 0.0031). Discussion Treatment dropout rate for patients with psychoses in Guangdong Province appears to be low. Implications for mental health service reform in China include assertive follow-up for patients with history of poor adherence with treatment, free medications to poor patients to increase access to appropriate and affordable treatment, and active psychoeducation for patients with poor insight and their families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been little attention, until recently, to linking women who test HIV positive in pregnancy-related services to long-term HIV care and treatment services.A retrospective review of routine hospital data was carried out in 2 hospitals in Kenya. Associations between available demographic information and uptake of HIV-related services within 6 months of HIV diagnosis in pregnancy-related services were assessed using logistic regression. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to assess time between HIV diagnosis and registration at the HIV clinic. Referrals between pregnancy-related and HIV-related services were observed.At Naivasha hospital, the proportion of women registering at the HIV clinic within 6 months was 17.2% (153 of 892); at Gilgil hospital, it was 35.4% (84 of 237). Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) was initiated by 40% and 27% of known eligible women in Naivasha and Gilgil, respectively. Non-systematic registration of clients on first contact at the HIV clinic, and restricted availability of services due to costs and opening hours were observed. In Naivasha, year, attendance at multiple pregnancy-related visits, and attendance at antenatal care in Naivasha hospital were associated with registration at the HIV clinic. In Gilgil, year, attendance at multiple pregnancy-related visits, and women being in their first pregnancy were associated with the outcome.Only 4% of women estimated to need HAART for their own care initiated HAART within 6 months of HIV diagnosis. Challenges associated with providing longitudinal care are especially evident in the context of high population mobility. Innovation in service delivery is required to improve uptake of services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objective: The objective of this study was to obtain information on patients in their first contact with community mental health departments in the south of Italy, particularly on dropout patients leaving care without a previous agreement. Method: A 3-month cohort of 265 “first-contact” psychiatric patients assisted at four different community mental health centers (CMHCs) was examined and followed up at 6 months. Results: The overall dropout rate after 6 months was 38.7%; it was higher for patients receiving pharmacological therapy alone and for patients seeking help on their own initiative, whereas physician-referred patients showed a lower dropout rate. More severely ill patients, as evaluated by physicians, showed dropout rates lower than those of patients “rating” themselves as severely ill. Conclusions: To lower dropout rates in CMHC settings, physicians should be provided with more concrete support in the patient selection and referral process. Greater focus should be placed on patients'' motivational aspects and on their perceptions of their own symptom severity, as well as on the risks of dispensing “easy” solutions such as pharmacological therapy alone. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Purpose: Understanding the high rate of treatment adherence in trials of people with eating disorders is important as it can compromise the quality of the trials. In clinical practice, it may also contribute to illness chronicity, relapse, and costs. Thus, we investigated factors associated with adherence to a new treatment HAPIFED, which integrates cognitive behavioural therapy having extended sessions with body weight loss therapy compared to cognitive behavioural therapy with extended sessions alone, for individuals with Bulimia Nervosa or Binge Eating Disorder or other eating disorders comorbid with overweight or obesity. Methods: In total, 98 participants having bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder and other specified and unspecified eating disorders were recruited with 50 randomised to HAPIFED and 48 to the control intervention CBT-E, all administered in groups of up to 10 participants. An investigator external to the site conducted the random allocation, which was concealed from the statistician involved in the analysis, and known only to the therapists until the finalization of the 12-month follow-up after the end of active treatment. Three scenarios in the timeline treatment of a total of 30 sessions were assessed: 33% or 60% or 75% of presence. Mixed-effects logistic regression analysis was performed to find the correlates of adherence after adjusting for clustering by number of group participants. To account for heterogeneity by types of eating disorders in the sample, the latter variable was considered as a control factor in the models. A subgroup analysis was performed for those with binge eating disorder as this was the largest (N = 66) eating disorder group. Results: None of the six variables—frequency of binge eating episodes, purging, eating disorder symptom severity, weight, illness duration and mental health-related quality of life—significantly predicted adherence at 33%, but longer illness duration predicted higher treatment adherence at both 60% and 75% presence of the interventions. Also for 75% presence, higher body weight predicted lower treatment adherence. For the subgroup analysis, those having higher illness duration had significantly higher odds of treatment adherence for 60% and 75% of the sessions. Conclusions: Higher adherence due to late treatment completion was associated with longer binge eating illness length and a lower body weight. More research is needed to recognize factors that may interfere with engagement in treatments aiming to avoid early dropout. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To examine utilization patterns of diabetes self-management training (DSME) and identify patient factors associated with attrition from these services at an ambulatory diabetes education centre (DEC). Methods A retrospective medical chart review of first time visits (536) to the centre between 1 August 2000 and 31 July 2001 was conducted for patients with type 2 diabetes. Descriptive analyses were conducted to examine utilization patterns over a 1-year period. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify patient factors associated with attrition from DSME and non-use of group education among new patients. Results Almost 50% of new patients withdrew prematurely from recommended DSME services over the 1-year period, and only 24.8% attended group education. Patient variables such as being older than 65 years of age, primarily speaking English, or working full or part-time were associated with attrition from DSME and non-use of group education when compared with middle aged, non-English-speaking, and non-working patients. Conclusions High DSME attrition rates indicate that retention needs to become a focus of programme policy, planning and evaluation to improve programme effectiveness. DSME tailored to the cultural and linguistic characteristics of the community, and convenient and accessible to working and older patients will potentially increase retention in and accessibility to these services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Voluntary dropouts before completion of inpatient psychiatric treatment are common in patients with dual disorders. However, the socioeconomic profile and family structure of patients who undergo a therapeutic program may correlate with their motivation and participation in the treatment received, as well as with their subsequent recovery. Objectives: To evaluate the family typology of patients with dual diagnosis according to the degree of intrafamily cohesion and adaptability correlated with the prediction of therapeutic success and the risk of voluntary abandonment of hospital detoxification treatment. Methods: A total of 211 patients admitted to an inpatient psychiatric unit with substance use disorders were studied. Data were obtained from two sources: (1) interview of participants, (2) review of participants' medical records using the Maudsley Addiction Profile (MAP) and the Family Cohesion and Adaptability Assessment Scale (FACES III). Results: The 127 subjects who completed the hospital detoxification program had significantly lower MAP and FACES III scores at baseline than the 84 subjects who did not complete the study. Those who did not complete the admission reported greater addictive severity and poorer family functioning. Family cohesion and adaptability measured with FACES III and addictive severity assessed withMAPpositively correlated with successful compliance with the hospital treatment program for dual diagnosis patients. Conclusions: These findings reveal the association of psychosocial and family determinants and addictive severity with treatment completion and subsequent prognostic evolution. Recognizing these predictive characteristics may allow early identification of patients at higher risk of early dropout and prevent it by increasing the intensity of treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]