Predicting retention of adolescents in substance abuse treatment.

Because retention of adolescents in substance abuse treatment is critical to treatment effectiveness, factors that predict length of time in treatment were examined among youth (N=173) admitted to five outpatient clinics. At admission, youth received a comprehensive psychosocial assessment. Relevant predictors of length of treatment were determined using Poisson regression analyses. Factors positively associated with treatment duration included use of drugs in addition to alcohol and marijuana, having less deviant peers, absence of substance-caused emotional problems, and viewing counselor's skills more positively. In contrast, pressure to enter treatment was unrelated to treatment duration. Results suggest that the counselor-client relationship and peer influences be explicitly considered in treatment.