Objective: The study examined the characteristics of pathological gamblers who complete treatment, compared with those who terminate treatment prematurely.
Design: Two comparison groups comprising treatment completers and drop-outs.
Methods: In all, 112 pathological gamblers who undertook a cognitive treatment programme for gambling were compared on different variables.
Results: A high score on impulsivity at intake significantly differentiated those participants who dropped out from treatment completers. There were no differences on socio-demographic and gambling-related characteristics, depression, anxiety, problem-solving skills and alcohol use.
Conclusions: These data implicate impulsivity as a significant factor in treatment drop-outs.