Does Time Between Application and Case Assignment Predict Therapy Attendance or Premature Termination in Outpatients?

This study assessed whether timeliness of case assignment predicted 2 types of patient termination: nonattendance to therapy before intake but after completing the application process and premature termination once therapy had begun. The patients in this study represented all adults applying to an outpatient clinic for therapeutic services over a 5-year period (N = 313, 142 male). Results indicated that the timeliness of case assignment was a significant predictor of whether a patient attended intake, with those enduring a longer delay in case assignment more likely to not pursue therapeutic services. Timeliness of case assignment was not related to premature termination from therapy. Potential moderators, including patient ethnicity, gender, age, personality disorder diagnosis, and symptom severity, did not affect the relationship between the variables of interest.