Children who drop out of treatment: Interim report

Publication Date: 6/1/2000

Description:

The purpose of this study is to investigate the characteristics and experiences of children who dropout of mental health services prematurely. By implementing a mixed method analysis including surveys, record reviews, and interviews we anticipate being able to better understand the reason for early terminations from the perspective of the children themselves, their parents or caregivers, and service providers. Preliminary efforts to determine factors that contribute to the decision to dropout of services suggest that the mobility of the population may be a common factor in early terminations. Other factors include those related to the convenience of the appointments in relation to other life activities such as school and work. Future project activities will attempt to offer recommendations to better enrage families and work with them in ways that meet their needs.