Abstract
Objective: Premature termination of treatment amongst children and families attending mental health services is a significant problem for both outcomes research and clinical practice in South Africa and elsewhere. This study investigated factors that are associated with premature termination of treatment at a public service child and family clinic in Cape Town.
Method: A retrospective archival analysis of clinic files from 2002-2009 was conducted. Administrative, child and family factors, and type of treatment were explored as risk factors for premature termination.
Results: A single-parent household and the presence of a child or oppositional defiant disorder were risk factors for premature termination of treatment, while the presence of a maternal psychiatric diagnosis was associated with a lower likelihood of terminating treatment prematurely. Conducting a scholastic assessment with the child was associated with a lower risk of premature termination, while there was a trend towards a higher risk of premature termination when individual child therapy was the recommended treatment.
Conclusions: This study offers recommendations for how these findings could assist South African clinicians to enhance client retention in child and family mental health services, and suggestions for future research.