View article

To examine effects of program and patient characteristics on patient retention in residential drug treatment programs, outpatient drug-free programs (ODF), and methadone maintenance (MM) programs.

Patient data were based on admission and discharge records for individuals entering treatment programs in Los Angeles County during 1992 and 1993. Program data were collected from program directors via a mail survey. The study sample included 26,047 patients in 87 programs. The dependent variable was patient completion of a critical threshold of treatment (360 days for MM and 180 days for the other two modalities). We applied logistic regression hierarchical linear modeling analysis for each modality.

Threshold retention rates were generally low in all three modalities (18.1% for residential programs, 22.9% for ODF, and 13.6% for MM). An articulated …