Abstract
It is important to understand predictors of retention in rehabilitation for people with histories of addiction, co-existing mental health issues and criminal offending. This research examined whether admission status, ethnicity, age, substance use and forensic history were associated with length of stay in a therapeutic community in Dunedin. Retrospective data was gathered from clinical files for 240 tāngata whaiora who entered treatment in 2011–2020. The median stay was 111.5 days (mean 182.62, SD 178.23); 80% were retained for at least a month; 56% for 3 months; 38% for 6 months and 26% for 9 months. Having a mandate to undertake treatment was the only significant predictor of retention. Those with mandates were significantly more likely to complete at least 3-months treatment than those without a mandate. These findings demonstrate that mandated treatment may increase retention when few other factors predict retention in therapeutic communities.