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We reviewed case files from two longitudinal ethnographic field studies of drug users in order to examine mechanisms of noncompletion. We explored two general mechanisms, including investigator initiated termination and subject initiated withdrawal. Subjects were terminated when patterns of incoherent or inconsistent responses were detected in interviews; subjects were also terminated when they stole from the field site or when they were jailed or hospitalized. The findings suggest that the initial phases of interviewing served as an important subject screening period for the researchers conducting the interviews. Most noncompletion in both studies fell under the category of subject initiated withdrawal. Analyses suggested that respondents who dropped out reported significantly less drug involvement and somewhat less extensive criminal involvement than those who completed the study. Women who dropped out were more likely to be married than women who completed the study. Men who dropped out were less likely to reside in shelters for the homeless than men who remained in the study. Our behavioral findings sharply contrast with findings from studies of attrition in conventional panel research on drug use. Implications for research on hidden populations are discussed. These findings suggest some important limitations in ethnographic research and underscore the importance of systematic descriptive accounts of noncompletion across a range of ethnographic studies.

The suicide of a student or staff member is one of the most difficult crises confronting a high school. This article describes the first year of a school-based postvention program to train and consult with crisis personnel in a structured response to this crisis. Responding to Loss (RTL) is one program offered by Community Action for Youth Survival, a project of the Ronald McDonald Children's Charities. Serving a contiguous three county urban area, this program integrates public health, epidemiological, psychiatric, and prevention paradigms to provide a comprehensive approach to the aftermath of adolescent suicide. RTL provides an interdisciplinary model for comprehensive, school-based postvention programs based on the guidelines developed by the Centers for Disease Control and national and local psychological autopsy data. It highlights the significance of responding to increased rates of suicide in minority youth, suicide witnessed by peers, and suicide victims who have dropped out of school. Organizational issues, such as systematic school entry, development of a computerized school database, proactive training, and collaboration with the offices of medical examiners and coroners, are described. Initial evaluation data from year 1 indicate significant gains in participants' knowledge and skills, as well as a high rate of consumer satisfaction.