Psychotherapy - why people drop out

People dropping out of treatment is a common problem in psychotherapy with different studies showing that between 35 and 55% of people drop out of talking therapies. However, there is a limited amount of information as to how many people drop out of cognitive-behaviour therapy treatments which are now seen by many people as the most effective form of psychotherapy. A study of 203 patients in Barcelona found that 43.8% of them dropped out mostly in the early stages of treatment. The most common reasons for people dropping out were their own low motivation and/or dissatisfaction with the treatment or the therapist which accounted for 46.7% of the drop-outs. Personal problems made up 40% of the drop-outs and patients feeling that they were better made up 13.3%. Patients who drop out were more likely to suffer from mood or eating disorders or have problems with being too impetuous.

Bados, Arturo, Balaguer, Gemma and Saldana, Carmina - The efficacy of cognitive-behavioral therapy and the problem of drop-out Journal of Clinical Psychology June 2006, 63(6), 585-592