Abstract
Introduction and Aims. To study rates of 3-month retention in a drug treatment therapeutic community and the characteristics of residents who remain in treatment. Design and Methods. A total of 200 consecutive admissions to a therapeutic community in Christchurch, New Zealand received a structured interview and questionnaires and were prospectively followed for 3 months. Assessments included the Modified Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI), Hopkins Symptom Checklist (SCL-90), Temperament Character Inventory (TCI) and Short Form Health Survey (SF-36). Results. A total of 107 out of 187 residents remained in the program for at least 3 months. These residents had a better baseline mental health score (SF-36), higher lifetime depression, higher current sedative/hypnotic dependence and less lifetime stimulant dependence. The differences were modest and predicted around 18% of the variance in outcome. Discussion and Conclusions. The retention rate is consistent with other studies. Few variables predict those who discontinue treatment supporting a non-discriminatory approach to new residents by clinicians. [Mulder RT, Frampton CMA, Peka H, Hampton G, Marsters T. Predictors of 3-month retention in a drug treatment therapeutic community. Drug Alcohol Rev 2009;28:366-371].