...Michael Lyvers; Valli Jones; Mark Edwards; Kim Wood; Fred Arne Thorberg Purpose The treatment of severe and chronic substance dependence is challenged by high rates of treatment attrition, highlighting the need to identify factors that hinder treatment retention. The paper aims to discuss...

.... The retention thresholds appear to have been chosen based on the approximation of such periods to average treatment durations in a particular modality, or the schedule of data collection, rather than through examination of alternative intervals (Zhang et al., 2002 ; Simpson et al., 1997...

... support. These factors create concerns for treatment services, with an increasing demand for cost‐effective solutions to this problem. This paper seeks to address these issues. Design/methodology/approach This prospective cohort study examined the effect of client variables on retention within a short...