It has been estimated that the most pressing problem in community mental health care clinics is dropout, defined as unilateral termination by the client without therapist approval. To clarify the nature of dropout patients, 133 outpatient records at a rural community mental health center were examined over a one year period. Variables expected to predict dropout status were coded and reduced by factor analysis. Discriminant analysis revealed that short term dropouts (two or fewer visits) could be discriminated from long term dropouts (three visits or more), confirming that dropouts are not a heterogeneous group. Short term dropouts tended to be less likely than long term terminators to report a disturbance with their child, more likely to report a sleep disturbance or sexual dysfunction and more likely to have a complaint longer in duration. Comparisons of short term dropouts to short term terminators showed that the therapist's role was more significant. The findings suggest that the dropouts meet their treatment needs in a short term manner. (JAC)