Motivational Interviewing with Alcohol Outpatients

Outpatients from a V.A. outpatient substance abuse treatment program ( N = 32) were assigned at random either to receive or not receive a brief motivational intervention in addition to standard outpatient treatment. The additional intervention consisted of two additional hours of assessment and a one-hour motivational interview. Control subjects received the same additional assessment, but with an attention-placebo interview in place of the motivational interview. Those assigned to receive the additional intervention demonstrated superior clinical outcome at three month follow-up on a composite variable composed of three individual variables: (1) total standard drinks, (2) peak blood alcohol level, and (3) percent days abstinent. These results were substantially corroborated by reports of significant others. By six month follow-up, the superiority of the treatment group was modest, and no longer significant. These findings support the utility of this approach for use with clinically severe alcohol populations on at least a time-limited basis.