A pilot study on the efficacy of motivational interviewing groups in alcohol use disorders

OBJECTIVES: The present pilot study was designed to measure the feasibility and efficacy of motivational interviewing (MI) in groups in France, using the Wagner and Ingersoll's method. METHOD: Participants (N = 85) were people with an alcohol use disorder (AUD) recruited from addiction consultation centers: 37 received five sessions of 2-h MI groups and 48 were assigned to treatment-as-usual condition (TAU). The sample was middle-aged (M = 43.95, SD = 12.96). RESULTS: MI in groups seems to lead to a significant decrease in alcohol use and anxiety and depressive symptoms of participants in the MI condition. Moreover, there seems to be an increase in subjective happiness scores after the MI groups. In addition, participants' reactions were very positive. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides encouraging results in favor of the feasibility and efficacy of MI in groups. The use of MI in groups has many advantages in clinical settings.