Motivational enhancement therapy for high-risk adolescent smokers

Abstract: The majority of regular adult smokers begin smoking in adolescence and there is a clear need for youth-targeted smoking cessation interventions. The present randomized, controlled trial tested the effectiveness of motivational enhancement therapy (MET) to reduce smoking among 81 adjudicated adolescents. Participants received either MET or an education control. Smoking abstinence, quantity, and frequency were assessed at 1 and 6 months post treatment. Results suggest that although between-group differences on outcome measures were not significant at follow-up, smoking behavior decreased in both groups with approximately 10% achieving 1-month smoking abstinence at 6-month follow-up. Furthermore, participant response to MET varied by level of alcohol use and impulsivity such that participants with lower levels of alcohol use and impulsivity had significantly greater response to MET. In contrast, participants who endorsed higher rates of alcohol use and impulsivity responded better to the control than the MET condition. Results suggest that MET may be an effective intervention for some adolescent smokers but may be contraindicated for adolescents who have concomitant problems with alcohol use or impulsivity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]Copyright of Addictive Behaviors is the property of Pergamon Press - An Imprint of Elsevier Science and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)