The impact of familial involvement on dropout in a culturally informed group therapy for people diagnosed with ‘schizophrenia’

BackgroundIndividuals with schizophrenia diagnoses are high-risk for dropout from mental health treatments, yet few studies have examined whether familial involvement in therapy impacts dropout.MethodsWe examined whether familial involvement and other demographic variables predicted dropout among 101 patients enrolled in culturally informed group therapy for people diagnosed with ‘schizophrenia’ (CIGT-S), which incorporates collectivistic principles and spiritual coping into treatment. We reviewed records and conducted follow-up calls to identify reasons for dropout, and performed survival analyses to identify when dropout was likely.ResultsFamilial involvement was linked to greater engagement with treatment and lower dropout, signifying a mechanism for improving treatment attendance in this group. Ethnic minorities and patients with higher symptom severity demonstrated higher rates of dropout. Most patients dropped out of CIGT-S before treatment began. However, significantly lower levels of dropout were observed among those who made it to session 9 (end of the spirituality module). An inability to maintain contact with participants was the most cited reason for dropout within records, and structural reasons (e.g. moving away) were commonly cited among participants who were successfully followed-up with.DiscussionFuture work may identify whether family functioning or the quality of familial relationships may predict familial involvement and, consequently, treatment attendance.