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not found, the clinical database was examined and where possible, a meeting was
arranged via the clinical contact.
3 If this was not possible because there was no clinical contact, the address was
checked and a further letter and stamped addressed envelope were sent with questionnaires and front sheet, requesting their return.
7.3.3 The process of follow-up at three months
A total of 157 (68.3) individuals were seen at three month follow-up of whom 151 (65.7%) completed the questionnaire battery and the remaining 6 declined to be interviewed or complete the questionnaires despite having given initial consent.
Of the 151 study participants (Sample 6a) who were contacted at the three month follow-up point and who agreed to participate in follow-up, 92 (40% of the original sample) were seen at the first attempt using the first level method of follow-up. Of this number 81 were seen at home and 11 were seen at the clinic. A further 4 participants were contacted using one repeat of this method and two more using three and four repeats of this method. Thus 98 participants were contacted using this method in a total of 107 attempts. At the next level of follow-up, 44 participants were contacted after a total of 100 attempts at the levels one and two. At the third level of sending out postal questionnaires 9 participants were contacted following a total of 30 attempts at the levels one, two and three.
Of the 79 participants who did not participate in follow-up, information regarding 41 of them was obtained: 20 were traced and a further 21 were accounted for. Seven participants refused to complete the questionnaires at the point of follow-up. Two participants died during the three month follow-up period, both were young male heroin users. One participant had joined the army and was therefore not followed up. Eight participants were known to be in prison and not contacted and two had developed a psychotic illness for which they were receiving treatment. Twenty-one participants were known to have moved and there was no new information regarding their whereabouts. Thus of the 230 participants in the original sample, 38 or 16.5% were unaccounted for at three months (See Table 7.2).
157