Danessa Mayo

Abstract

Attrition in mental health treatment is an area of concern among the adolescent population, especially with patients engaged in deliberate self-harm. The purpose of this study was to examine the treatment attrition rate for adolescents with deliberate self-harm in an adapted dialectical behavior therapy intensive outpatient program. A total of 141 adolescents previously enrolled in the program were available for the study. Results demonstrated a 31.9% dropout rate. Graduates indicated greater improvement of overall distress from baseline to post-treatment than dropouts. Dropouts attended an average of 12 treatment sessions. Several factors were examined to identify potential predictors of patient treatment dropout: patient sociodemographic characteristics (i.e., age, gender,

ethnicity, funding type, number of previous psychiatric hospitalizations) and psychosocial factors (i.e., Y-OQ-SR Total Score at baseline; BASC-2 PRS-A Externalizing Problems composite score; BASC-2 SRP-A School Problems; and the PRQ-CA Communication, Involvement, and Relational Frustration scale scores). None of the identified variables significantly predicted the number of treatment days. This suggests that the predictive factors of treatment dropout in youth with DSH may not be directly similar to those typically associated with general adolescent mental health treatment. The current study provides additional support for DBT-A and further understanding of treatment retention among adolescents with DSH.

LLU Discipline

Clinical Psychology

Department

Psychology

School

School of Behavioral Health

First Advisor

Freeman, Kimberly

Second Advisor

Morrell, Holly E. R.

Third Advisor

Neece, Cameron

Fourth Advisor

Vermeersch, David

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Degree Level

Ph.D.

Year Degree Awarded

2015

Date (Title Page)

12-2015

Language

English

Library of Congress/MESH Subject Headings

Dialectical Behavior Therapy; Adolescent Psychotherapy; Behavior Therapy - Psychology; Borderline Personality Disorder; Self-Injurious Behavior

Subject - Local

Deliberate Self-harm; Adolescence; Outpatient programs; Patient treatment dropout;

Type

Dissertation

Page Count

94

Digital Format

PDF

Digital Publisher

Loma Linda University Libraries

Usage Rights

This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights.

Collection

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Collection Website

http://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/

Repository

Loma Linda University. Del E. Webb Memorial Library. University Archives

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