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Abstract
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OBJECTIVE: To identify demographic, diagnostic, and personality factors that predict treatment dropout in a sample of outpatients with clinically significant suicidal ideation.
METHOD: A total of 287 adult outpatients at elevated risk for suicide completed self-report measures of demographics, suicidal and depression symptoms, and personality characteristics at treatment intake. Clinician-assessed psychiatric diagnoses and ratings of overall functioning also were collected.
RESULTS: Lower overall functioning (odds ratio [OR] =.947; 95% confidence interval [CI] [.909,.987]) and the presence of a substance use disorder (OR = 4.543; 95% CI [1.058, 19.499]) were the most robust predictors of attrition. Dropouts also were more likely to have a depressive disorder, more comorbid diagnoses, and more severe depression and suicidal symptoms.
CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that clinician-assessed poorer overall functioning and a substance use disorder diagnosis are risk factors for attrition among suicidal individuals, above and beyond other symptom measures. Further research is warranted to investigate attrition in additional outpatient samples.
© 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Language: en |