Male Patient Drop-Out from Addiction Inpatient Treatment in the Czech Republic: A Study Protocol

BACKGROUND: The dropout rate from the treatment of patients with substance use disorders (SUD) negatively affects overall treatment outcomes. Little is known about the specific role of various psychiatric and psychosocial factors in the individual patients. Limited data is available in regards to mindset and addiction treatment, giving the opportunity of testing such interventions in the future.

AIM: To identify the key psychological, psychosocial, and other treatment related factors in the patients from the inpatient substance use treatment with addiction who have dropped out of the program based on correlations with the patients’ mindset.

SETTING: Men’s ward for treatment of SUD at the Department of Addictology, General University Hospital in Prague, the Czech Republic.

SAMPLE: 120 male patients aged between 18 and 70 years sampled by convenience sampling in the Department of Addictology at the General University Hospital in Prague, Czech Republic.

METHODS: The prospective study with the follow-up will be based on correlation analysis of self-reports questionnaires which are completed on the first week and the last week of the treatment, followed up by a short phone interview 6 months after the beginning of the treatment for the patients that have completed the treatment. The following is a protocol for the study that began in 2020 and will end at the end of 2023. Data will be stored according to the guidelines and treatment confidentially.

DISCUSSION: Findings will be disseminated in peer reviewed scientific journals, national and international conferences, and in briefings to inform clinical decision making. It will provide information which will help to personalize treatment to meet unique needs of each patient and serve as dropout prevention.