Abolhassani Shahreza F¹ (MD), Sharifi V² (MD), Moazami Godarzi L³ (MA), Mousavinia SJ³ (MD), Jafarineia M³ (MD), Amin-Esmaeili M⁴ (MD), Hajizadegan A³ (MA), Noee Z³ * (MSc)

  ¹ National Institute of Health Research , Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

  ² Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Roozbeh hospital, Tehran. Iran

  ³ Community Mental Health Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

  ⁴ Iranian Research Center for HIV/AIDS, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

  Original Article

  Received: 24 Jun 2014, Accepted: 2 Oct 2014

  Abstract

  Introduction: This study was conducted to evaluate factors associated with drop-out rate among patients with psychiatric disorders.

  Methods: This was a descriptive-analytic study. All patients (n=2600) diagnosed with anxiety or depressive disorders visited by a general practitioner in a private clinic affiliated with community mental health centers were included during November 2010 to October 2012. The survival analysis was used to assess the patients’ drop-out and factors related to patients’ drop-out. The impact of factors such as age, gender, education, type of diagnosis, and provider center of services on treatment drop-out were evaluated. The Cox regression was also used to assess effect of telephone follow-ups on patients’ survival in treatment.

  Results: The median length of stay in treatment was 32 days ranged from 16 to 600 days for different general practitioners. When patients with only one visit were excluded, the median length of stay in treatment was 158 days. Effective factors on retention from treatment included patients’ age, provider clinic of services and telephone follow-up by case managers.

  Conclusion: Developing a good therapeutic alliance using regular telephone follow-ups is effective on retention of patients in treatment.

  Key words: d epressive disorders, anxiety disorders, collaborative care, drop-out

  Please cite this article as follows:

  Abolhassani Shahreza F, Sharifi V, Moazami Godarzi L, Mousavinia SJ, Jafarineia M, Amin-Esmaeili M, et al. Factors Associated with Drop-out from Treatment in Patients with Anxiety and Depressive Disorders. Hakim Health Sys Res 2014 17(3): 250- 259.

  * Corresponding Author: Community Mental Health Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Tel: +98- 21- 55685962, Fax: +98- 21- 55685961 E-mail: zahranoee@gmail.com