Depressive symptomatology and early attrition from intensive outpatient substance use treatment.

This study examines the relationship between depressive symptoms and attrition from outpatient treatment in a Veterans Affairs facility that had recently moved to intensive outpatient-only treatment for substance abuse. This article focuses on 126 consecutively admitted patients who were enrolled on their last day of a 3- to 4-day outpatient detoxification. Results indicate that severe depressive symptomatology presenting at treatment entry is a significant risk factor for early attrition from intensive outpatient substance use treatment but not later attrition.