Motivational interviewing for alcohol-involved adolescents in the emergency room

(from the chapter) This chapter describes the authors' research with alcohol-involved adolescents in an urban trauma center, using motivational interviewing as a brief intervention approach. Brief intervention in general, and Motivational Interviewing (MI) as a specific type of brief intervention, have shown great promise with adults but have been minimally studied with adolescents. The authors' work suggests a brief MI, when introduced at a "teachable moment," can be particularly effective in reducing a number of dangerous behaviors and consequences, including drinking and driving, injuries, alcohol-related injuries, traffic violations, and other alcohol-related problems for older adolescents. However, less convincing results with younger adolescents and with attempts to identify mediators of treatment effects suggest the need for more systematic work in this area. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) (chapter)