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A study and evaluation of client dropout at a drug counsellling centre in Cape Town

This study is motivated by the fact that half the clients attending a drug counselling centre in Cape Town, dropped out of treatment before the fourth interview. The study examines and describes the factors which contribute towards this dropout behaviour. Literature describing dropout behaviour and...

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Main Author: Rogers, Catherine Anne
Other Authors: Isaacs, Gordon
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: Department of Social Development 2016
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access_status_str Open Access
author Rogers, Catherine Anne
author2 Isaacs, Gordon
author_browse Isaacs, Gordon
Rogers, Catherine Anne
author_facet Isaacs, Gordon
Rogers, Catherine Anne
author_sort Rogers, Catherine Anne
collection Thesis
description This study is motivated by the fact that half the clients attending a drug counselling centre in Cape Town, dropped out of treatment before the fourth interview. The study examines and describes the factors which contribute towards this dropout behaviour. Literature describing dropout behaviour and patterns of illicit drug abuse identified multiple factors influencing dropout behaviour. The present study utilizes four such categories: a) motivation factors, which include the pressure that families or employers exert on clients to attend treatment; b) client factors, including aspects of demography, symptomology and personality; c) treatment factors, such as evaluation methods, the initial contact, client expectations of the agency and treatment effectiveness; and d) therapist factors including therapist attributes, contracting and response to dropout behaviour. In order to explore factors contributing to dropout behaviour, an initial sample of 32 subjects was selected of which fourteen were interviewed by means of a structured questionnaire. An analysis of the results gives rise to the following important findings: Families do not influence the dropout to continue with treatment. Dropouts tend to have unrealistic treatment expectations, such as immediate medical relief from drug related symptoms. Dropouts also tend to have lower educational status and are more frequently employed in relation to the average client. The dropouts experience anxiety during the initial contact, which is often met by uncaring therapist attitudes. Finally, the study demonstrates that inflexible agency hours and a lack of therapist contracting also contribute toward dropout behaviour.
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institution University of Cape Town (South Africa)
language eng
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:33:05.164Z
license_str Not specified — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
publishDate 2016
publishDateRange 2016
publishDateSort 2016
publisher Department of Social Development
publisherStr Department of Social Development
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source_str UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
spelling oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/22512 A study and evaluation of client dropout at a drug counsellling centre in Cape Town Rogers, Catherine Anne Isaacs, Gordon Clinical Social Work This study is motivated by the fact that half the clients attending a drug counselling centre in Cape Town, dropped out of treatment before the fourth interview. The study examines and describes the factors which contribute towards this dropout behaviour. Literature describing dropout behaviour and patterns of illicit drug abuse identified multiple factors influencing dropout behaviour. The present study utilizes four such categories: a) motivation factors, which include the pressure that families or employers exert on clients to attend treatment; b) client factors, including aspects of demography, symptomology and personality; c) treatment factors, such as evaluation methods, the initial contact, client expectations of the agency and treatment effectiveness; and d) therapist factors including therapist attributes, contracting and response to dropout behaviour. In order to explore factors contributing to dropout behaviour, an initial sample of 32 subjects was selected of which fourteen were interviewed by means of a structured questionnaire. An analysis of the results gives rise to the following important findings: Families do not influence the dropout to continue with treatment. Dropouts tend to have unrealistic treatment expectations, such as immediate medical relief from drug related symptoms. Dropouts also tend to have lower educational status and are more frequently employed in relation to the average client. The dropouts experience anxiety during the initial contact, which is often met by uncaring therapist attitudes. Finally, the study demonstrates that inflexible agency hours and a lack of therapist contracting also contribute toward dropout behaviour. 2016-11-14T06:53:05Z 2016-11-14T06:53:05Z 1990 Master Thesis Masters MSocSc http://hdl.handle.net/11427/22512 eng application/pdf Department of Social Development Faculty of Humanities University of Cape Town
spellingShingle Clinical Social Work
Rogers, Catherine Anne
A study and evaluation of client dropout at a drug counsellling centre in Cape Town
thesis_degree_str Master's
title A study and evaluation of client dropout at a drug counsellling centre in Cape Town
title_full A study and evaluation of client dropout at a drug counsellling centre in Cape Town
title_fullStr A study and evaluation of client dropout at a drug counsellling centre in Cape Town
title_full_unstemmed A study and evaluation of client dropout at a drug counsellling centre in Cape Town
title_short A study and evaluation of client dropout at a drug counsellling centre in Cape Town
title_sort study and evaluation of client dropout at a drug counsellling centre in cape town
topic Clinical Social Work
url http://hdl.handle.net/11427/22512
work_keys_str_mv AT rogerscatherineanne astudyandevaluationofclientdropoutatadrugcounselllingcentreincapetown
AT rogerscatherineanne studyandevaluationofclientdropoutatadrugcounselllingcentreincapetown