Alcohol dependence: analysis of factors associated with retention of patients in outpatient treatment.

Aims: To identify factors associated with retention in treatment of alcohol-dependent individuals and to compare treatment retention between men and women.

Methods: Analysis of the treatment attendance records and baseline characteristics of 833 men and 218 women who undertook to attend follow-up treatment in an alcoholism treatment centre.

Results: Retention after 4 weeks of treatment is more likely to occur among those using adjuvant medication (the most frequent of which was disulfiram), those presenting severe alcoholism and those who are older and tend to be frequent drinkers. There was no gender difference regarding treatment retention.

Conclusion: Such results suggest possibilities for developing specific strategies to reduce the risk of early dropout from treatment.