motivational interviewing social work essay

Motivational Interviewing in Social Work: Enhancing Client Engagement and Empowerment

Motivational interviewing (MI) is a client-centered, evidence-based approach used in social work practice to facilitate behavior change by enhancing clients’ motivation to address concerns and achieve goals. Originally developed in the field of addiction treatment, MI has since been applied across various domains of social work. Including mental health, healthcare, child welfare, and criminal justice. This article explores the principles, techniques, and applications of motivational interviewing in social work practice, emphasizing its role in promoting client engagement, empowerment, and positive outcomes.

Table of Contents

Understanding Motivational Interviewing

Motivational interviewing is founded on the principles of collaboration, evocation, autonomy, and compassion (Miller & Rollnick, 2012). It involves a guiding style of communication characterized by empathy, reflective listening, and a non-confrontational approach. MI aims to help clients explore and resolve ambivalence about change, thereby increasing their readiness and commitment to taking action. The spirit of MI fosters a partnership between the social worker and the client. With an emphasis on respecting the client’s autonomy and self-efficacy.

Key Principles of Motivational Interviewing

• Express Empathy: Social workers employing MI strive to understand the client’s perspective, validate their experiences, and convey empathy through active listening and reflective statements. Empathy builds trust and rapport, creating a safe space for clients to explore their thoughts, feelings, and concerns without judgment.
• Develop Discrepancy: MI encourages clients to examine the discrepancy between their current behavior and their goals or values, highlighting the discrepancy motivates clients to consider change. Social workers help clients explore the negative consequences of their behavior while reinforcing their intrinsic motivations and aspirations.
• Roll with Resistance: Rather than confronting resistance directly, MI emphasizes responding to resistance with empathy and curiosity. Social workers acknowledge and respect the client’s autonomy, reframing resistance as a natural part of the change process. By avoiding power struggles and coercion, social workers maintain a collaborative stance that encourages openness and exploration.
• Support Self-Efficacy: MI promotes clients’ belief in their ability to change and overcome challenges. Social workers affirm clients’ strengths, resources, and past successes, fostering optimism and confidence in their capacity to make positive changes. By highlighting clients’ self-efficacy, social workers empower clients to take ownership of their change process.

Techniques of Motivational Interviewing

• Open-Ended Questions: Social workers use open ended questions to elicit clients’ perspectives, values, and goals. Open ended questions invite clients to share their experiences and thoughts freely, facilitating exploration and deeper understanding.
• Reflective Listening: Reflective listening involves paraphrasing, summarizing, and affirming clients’ statements to demonstrate understanding and empathy. Reflective statements help validate clients’ experiences, build rapport, and encourage further exploration.
• Affirmations: Affirmations are statements that acknowledge and reinforce clients’ strengths, efforts, and positive attributes. Affirmations boost clients’ self-esteem and confidence, enhancing their motivation and commitment to change.
• Eliciting Change Talk: Change talk refers to statements made by clients that indicate their readiness, willingness, or ability to change. Social workers use techniques such as asking evocative questions, exploring goals and values. And highlighting discrepancies to elicit change talk and reinforce motivation for change.
• Summarizing: Summarizing involves synthesizing and reflecting back key points from the client’s narrative. Summaries help clarify and organize the conversation, reinforce client autonomy, and facilitate decision-making.

Applications of Motivational Interviewing in Social Work

• Substance Use and Addiction: MI is widely used in substance abuse treatment to help individuals explore their ambivalence about change, increase motivation for treatment, and enhance engagement in recovery efforts. Social workers collaborate with clients to set realistic goals, develop coping strategies, and navigate challenges in maintaining sobriety.
• Mental Health: In mental health settings, MI is employed to support clients in managing symptoms, adhering to treatment plans, and improving overall well-being. Social workers use MI techniques to explore clients’ concerns, enhance self-awareness, and promote self-efficacy in coping with mental health challenges.
• Healthcare: MI is integrated into healthcare settings to promote health behavior change, such as smoking cessation, weight management, and medication adherence. Social workers collaborate with clients to identify health goals, address barriers to change, and develop personalized action plans for improving health outcomes.
• Child Welfare: MI is utilized in child welfare settings to engage families in case planning, reunification efforts, and parenting interventions. Social workers employ MI techniques to empower parents, strengthen family relationships, and promote positive behavior change in the best interest of children.
• Criminal Justice: MI is applied in criminal justice settings to support individuals involved in the justice system, such as probationers, parolees, and offenders in diversion programs. Social workers use MI to address criminogenic needs, reduce recidivism, and facilitate reintegration into the community.

Challenges and Considerations

While motivational interviewing offers numerous benefits in social work practice, it is not without challenges. Some common challenges include:

• Time Constraints: MI requires time for building rapport, exploring ambivalence, and eliciting change talk, which may be challenging in fast-paced or time-limited settings.
• Resistance and Ambivalence: Addressing resistance and ambivalence effectively requires skill and practice. Social workers may encounter clients who are initially resistant to change or reluctant to engage in the process.
• Training and Supervision: Social workers need training and ongoing supervision to develop proficiency in MI techniques and maintain fidelity to the approach. Continued professional development is essential for enhancing MI skills and addressing complex client issues.

Motivational interviewing is a valuable tool in the social worker’s toolkit, offering a client-centered approach to fostering behavior change, enhancing engagement, and promoting empowerment. By embodying the spirit of MI and utilizing its techniques effectively. Social workers can support clients in navigating challenges, achieving their goals, and creating positive change in their lives. As social work continues to evolve, the integration of motivational interviewing principles into practice holds promise for advancing client-centered care and improving outcomes across diverse populations and settings.

Read more: Is Social Work a Good Career?

Frequently Asked Questions:

What is motivational interviewing (mi) in social work.

Motivational interviewing is a client-center approach use in social work to facilitate behavior change by enhancing clients’ motivation to address concerns and achieve goals. It involves techniques such as empathetic listening, reflective questioning, and eliciting change talk to help clients explore and resolve ambivalence about change.

How does motivational interviewing differ from other therapeutic approaches?

Motivational interviewing differs from traditional therapeutic approaches in its focus on collaboration, evocation, and autonomy. Unlike directive approaches that emphasize advice-giving or confrontation. MI aims to evoke clients’ intrinsic motivations for change and empower them to explore their own solutions.

What are the key principles of motivational interviewing?

The key principles of motivational interviewing include expressing empathy, developing discrepancy, rolling with resistance, and supporting self-efficacy. These principles guide social workers in fostering a collaborative and non-confrontational atmosphere that respects clients’ autonomy and intrinsic motivations.

What techniques are use in motivational interviewing?

Techniques used in motivational interviewing include open-ended questions, reflective listening, affirmations, eliciting change talk, and summarizing. These techniques help social workers engage clients in exploring their thoughts, feelings, and motivations for change in a non-judgmental and empathetic manner.

What are the applications of motivational interviewing in social work practice?

Motivational interviewing has diverse applications in social work practice, including substance use and addiction treatment, mental health interventions, healthcare settings, child welfare services, and criminal justice programs. It can be use to support behavior change, enhance engagement, and promote empowerment across various populations and settings.

How can social workers learn and develop skills in motivational interviewing?

Social workers can learn and develop skills in motivational interviewing through training workshops, online courses, supervision, and self-study resources. Ongoing practice, feedback, and reflection are essential for mastering MI techniques and applying them effectively in diverse practice settings.

What are some common challenges in using motivational interviewing?

Common challenges in using motivational interviewing include time constraints. Addressing resistance and ambivalence, and the need for ongoing training and supervision. Social workers may also encounter difficulties in maintaining fidelity to the MI approach and integrating it into their existing practice frameworks.

How does motivational interviewing contribute to positive outcomes for clients?

Motivational interviewing contributes to positive outcomes for clients by enhancing engagement, promoting self-efficacy, and fostering intrinsic motivation for change. By empowering clients to explore their goals and values, MI facilitates behavior change and supports long-term success in achieving desired outcomes.

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Motivational interviewing’s theory of practice for social work

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Motivational interviewing (MI) continues to evolve and be disseminated for use with different social work target populations. It places high importance on the relationship between the practitioner and the client, utilizing very specific communication skills to enhance relationships and promote clients’ advocating for their own change. This chapter focuses on the practice theory of MI. It describes the clinical components of MI to further illuminate its theoretical underpinnings. Quite to the contrary of critiques that MI is an atheoretical practice, MI represents a fundamental theoretical shift in thinking about client behaviour change. To fully understand MI’s underlying practice theory, one should understand the skills used in MI. The MI spirit consists of four aspects: partnership, acceptance, compassion, and evocation. In addition to demonstrating the MI spirit in clinical interactions, MI practitioners also attend to change talk.

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• DOI: 10.1177/1468017305051365
• Corpus ID: 143806288

Motivational Interviewing and Social Work Practice

• Published 1 April 2005
• Journal of Social Work

60 Citations

Resistance is futile exploring the potential of motivational interviewing, motivational interviewing: an approach to support youth aging out of foster care, the role of empathy in training social work students in motivational interviewing, motivational interviewing: creating a leadership role for social work in the era of healthcare reform, motivational interviewing: an evidence-based practice for improving student practice skills, motivational interviewing at the intersections of depression and intimate partner violence among african american women, impact of motivational interviewing by social workers on service users: a systematic review, the utility of motivational interviewing in domestic violence shelters: a qualitative exploration, applying motivational interviewing in a domestic violence shelter: a pilot study evaluating the training of shelter staff, problem gambling: a suitable case for social work, 58 references, motivational interviewing with problem drinkers, negotiating behaviour change in medical settings: the development of brief motivational interviewing, the use of brief interventions adapted from motivational interviewing across behavioral domains: a systematic review..

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Motivational Interviewing in Social Work: An Evidence-Based Communication Approach

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March is Social Work Month , a time to celebrate the social work profession and the immeasurable contributions social workers make to our society. Social workers are one of the largest groups of mental health care providers in the country, helping individuals and families overcome challenges so they can live to their fullest potential. Especially at a time of pandemic, racial unrest, economic uncertainty, and political divisiveness, social workers help the nation heal through the power of communication. And one of the most powerful communication methods they draw from is motivational interviewing.

Here’s a brief overview of what motivational interviewing is, the importance of motivational interviewing in social work, and how current and future social workers can gain valuable practice using motivational interviewing skills.

What is motivational interviewing?

Motivational interviewing (MI) is a communication technique originally developed by psychologists and educators Miller and Rollnick with the goal of helping people make behavior changes. Below is their most recent definition of motivational interviewing found in their book, Motivational Interviewing: Helping people to change (3rd edition):

“MI is a collaborative, goal-oriented style of communication with particular attention to the language of change. It is designed to strengthen personal motivation for and commitment to a specific goal by eliciting and exploring the person’s own reasons for change within an atmosphere of acceptance and compassion.” – Miller and Rollnick (2013)

The four processes Miller and Rollnick outline in motivational interviewing include engaging, focusing, evoking, and planning. The approach uses skills and techniques to foster a partnership with clients, with elements including:

• Collaboration
• Promotion of autonomy
• Affirmation

Motivational interviewing skills are especially useful when working with people who are resistant to change, uncertain or doubtful about an issue, or struggle with low confidence. By helping these individuals discover their own intrinsic motivation to change, therapists, social workers, and other health professionals can help make a lasting impact in their clients’ lives.

The value of using motivational interviewing in social work

Motivational interviewing in social work is powerful because of the profession’s practice in behavioral health .

Social workers provide a wide spectrum of services to diverse populations and are focused on the overall wellbeing and health of their clients, with behavioral health being key. For every 10 people who visit a doctor, seven are there for reasons related to behavioral health . These prevalent issues can include:

• Diabetes management
• Weight loss
• Alcohol and other drug use problems

The social work practice in behavioral health involves the assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental illness, substance use, and other addictions.

Social workers are unique in that they not only help clients identify how they feel about situations, they also help create action plans for responding to them. Social work is complex and multi-faceted. Motivational interviewing is a powerful skill for social workers to master because it fits into the various roles they take on, particularly related to addiction.

Motivational Interviewing and SBIRT

An approach known as SBIRT — Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment — has gained popularity in recent years as an effective, evidence-based public health approach to the delivery of early intervention and treatment to these individuals, and uses motivational interviewing skills to increase awareness and motivate behavioral change.

SBIRT been bolstered by initiatives and formal recommendations from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) , Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) , Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) , and several national and international public health agencies.

NORC at the University of Chicago, in collaboration with the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), created a curricular resource on SBIRT. In this valuable resource for social work educators, motivational interviewing in social work is the sixth competency outlined.

“Through SBIRT, and consistent with the spirit of MI, social workers foster conversations that are centered on the strengths, priorities, and self-identified concerns of the individuals with whom they work. Social workers are mindful of the heavily contextualized nature of SBIRT practice and understand how individuals are affected by and affect families, other influential groups, organizations, and communities.” – NORC at the University of Chicago, Curricular Resource on Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) , P. 16

Because social workers understand the importance and influence of external factors and contexts, they are uniquely positioned to effectively use motivational interviewing and SBIRT to effectively engage with their clients.

Learn and practice motivational interviewing techniques

Schools of social work are embracing technology to train their students . Using simulation technology to give students practice using motivational interviewing in social work can help give them valuable practice before they work with clients in-person or during telehealth sessions.

“It can be really scary for our students to walk out there and greet clients for the first time and remember all the things that we taught them about – confidentiality, how to engage, how to establish rapport, all of that,” says Dr. Noell Rowan, a professor and associate director at the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) School of Social Work. “The Kognito simulations can help students to feel more confident when they reach an actual client or client system or family or organization.”

Kognito’s behavioral health simulations use evidence-based role-play simulations to help equip social work professionals and students of social work with skills and knowledge to address clients’ behavioral health.

Two simulations are particularly impactful in social work:

SBI With Adolescents helps health professionals build and assess their skills in conducting substance use Screening & Brief Intervention (SBI) with adolescent patients and providing referrals to treatment when appropriate.

SBI Skills Assessment helps health professionals assess their skills in conducting substance use Screening & Brief Intervention (SBI) using evidence-based intervention and motivational interviewing techniques.

Motivational interviewing in social work is powerful, but takes practice to master. Through virtual simulation, learners can gain meaningful practice in a safe environment.

Learn more about Kognito’s behavioral health simulations and request a demo at kognito.com .

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The indicators of motivation, resistance, and readiness to change

In social work practice, understanding a client's motivation, resistance, and readiness to change is critical for effective intervention and treatment planning. Here’s a detailed overview of the indicators for each:

Indicators of Motivation

Motivation refers to the client’s willingness and drive to engage in the process of change. Indicators of motivation include:

Verbal Expressions of Desire for Change (aka They Say So)

• Statements that reflect a desire to improve or change behaviors (e.g., "I want to get better," "I need to find a way to fix this").

Active Participation

• Engagement in sessions, asking questions, and actively contributing to discussions.
• Completion of assignments or tasks between sessions, indicating a commitment to the process.

Goal-Oriented Behavior

• Setting specific, achievable goals and working toward them.
• Showing initiative in seeking resources or information that supports change.

Positive Self-Talk

• Expressing confidence in the ability to make changes (e.g., "I think I can do this").

Seeking Feedback

• Asking for feedback or showing openness to suggestions and constructive criticism.

Behavioral Changes

• Making small but significant changes in behavior that align with the desired outcome, even without prompting.

Indicators of Resistance

Resistance refers to behaviors or attitudes that hinder the process of change. It can manifest in various ways:

• Frequently missing appointments, arriving late, or canceling sessions.
• Avoiding topics or issues that are central to the change process.

Defensiveness

• Responding to questions or feedback with hostility, denial, or justification (e.g., "I don't need to change," "It's not my fault").

Minimal Engagement

• Providing short or vague responses, showing little interest in the discussion.
• A lack of follow-through on agreed-upon tasks or assignments.

Ambivalence

• Expressing mixed feelings about change, often oscillating between wanting to change and wanting to maintain the status quo.

Blaming Others

• Attributing problems to external factors or other people, rather than taking responsibility for one’s role in the situation.

Rationalization

• Offering logical but self-serving explanations for why change isn’t necessary or why current behaviors are justified.

Discrepancy Between Words and Actions

• Saying one thing (e.g., expressing a desire to change) but doing another (e.g., engaging in behaviors that contradict change efforts).

Indicators of Readiness to Change

Readiness to change refers to the stage at which a client is prepared to take action toward change. It is often assessed through stages of change (precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance). Indicators include:

Recognition of the Problem

• Acknowledging that there is a problem that needs to be addressed (e.g., "I realize my drinking is out of control").

Exploring Options

• Considering different approaches to change and weighing the pros and cons of each (e.g., "I’m thinking about trying therapy or joining a support group").

Decision-Making

• Indicating a commitment to take action soon, such as setting a date to start a new behavior (e.g., "I’m going to quit smoking next month").

Taking Initial Steps

• Beginning to implement small changes, such as reducing harmful behaviors or experimenting with new, healthier behaviors.

Seeking Support

• Actively looking for resources, support networks, or professional help to facilitate the change process.

Expressing Confidence in Ability to Change

• Believing in one’s capacity to change, often articulated as a sense of optimism or determination (e.g., "I’m ready to do this, and I think I can succeed").

Stages of Change and Corresponding Indicators

Precontemplation : The client is not yet considering change and may not recognize the problem.

• Indicators: Denial of the problem, lack of awareness, no intention to change.

Contemplation : The client is aware of the problem and is considering the possibility of change.

• Indicators: Ambivalence, weighing pros and cons, verbal acknowledgment of the need to change.

Preparation : The client is planning to take action soon and may start making small changes.

• Indicators: Planning steps for change, seeking resources, setting a timeline.

Action : The client is actively taking steps to change behavior.

• Indicators: Observable behavioral changes, active problem-solving, high engagement.

Maintenance : The client has made changes and is working to sustain them.

• Indicators: Continued application of new behaviors, strategies to avoid relapse, ongoing commitment to change.

Understanding these indicators helps social workers tailor their approach to meet the client where they are in the change process, enhancing the effectiveness of interventions.

Motivational Interviewing

Since we're on the topic, let's make sure we're all familiar with the basics of MI. Motivational Interviewing is a client-centered, directive counseling approach designed to enhance motivation for change by helping clients explore and resolve ambivalence. It is particularly effective for clients who are unsure or resistant to change. The key principles and strategies of MI include:

Expressing Empathy : Understanding the client’s perspective without judgment, using reflective listening to convey empathy and acceptance.

Developing Discrepancy : Helping clients recognize the gap between their current behavior and their broader goals or values, which creates internal motivation to change.

Rolling with Resistance : Avoiding direct confrontation and instead using the client’s resistance as a way to further explore their feelings and concerns. The social worker adapts to the client’s perspective rather than opposing it.

Supporting Self-Efficacy : Encouraging the client’s belief in their ability to change, highlighting past successes, and building confidence in their capacity to achieve their goals.

Motivational Interviewing is collaborative and respects the client’s autonomy, empowering them to take an active role in their own change process. It’s particularly useful in settings like addiction treatment, health behavior change, and mental health interventions.

On the Exam

How might this all show up on the exam? Expect something like these questions:

• A social worker is working with a client who has expressed a desire to quit smoking but frequently misses appointments and does not complete agreed-upon tasks. Which indicator is the client most likely exhibiting?

During a counseling session, a client states, "I've been thinking a lot about how my drinking affects my family, and I'm starting to believe that I need to do something about it--I’m not sure where to start." This statement most clearly indicates which stage of readiness to change?

A client who has been working with a social worker to manage anxiety begins to regularly practice deep breathing exercises and reports a significant reduction in panic attacks. Which indicator is this client demonstrating?

Simple vignettes that test for your basic understanding of the concepts. Very much like the ones you'll encounter on SWTP's full-length practice tests. Where are you on your stages of social work exam prep? Ready to get some serious practice?

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Motivational interviewing

Author: Karen Evans

Updated Date: 31 May 2024

Publication Date: 11 October 2013

Introduction

Learning points How the underlying principles and spirit of motivational interviewing integrate well with the social work role. The four tasks of motivational interviewing (engaging, focusing, evoking and planning) and traps to avoid when applying the approach in practice. Examples of using the core skills of motivational interviewing. Contents Introduction The principles and spirit of […]

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Add item to CPD Log (SWE)

Title * Motivational interviewing

Date * 27-08-2024 (dd-mm-yyyy)

Learning or development activity, resource or URL https://adults.ccinform.co.uk/practice-guidance/guide-using-motivational-interviewing-social-work-practice/

Use the boxes below to record what you have learned from this activity. The form below replicates that used by Social Work England in your online account, so that when you need to renew your registration each year, you can easily transfer examples of CPD. Everything you write will be stored in your My CPD log on CC Inform. You can return to each piece of CPD and edit or add to it at any time - for example, if you reflect on it with a peer. You can export all the information as a Word file and copy it into Social Work England's form for the pieces you choose to submit during renewal, and print it off for other uses - for example, in supervision or peer reflection.

1. Describe what you have learnt from doing this CPD activity. (Social Work England recommend that you write 250-500 words, and they say that you may want to refer to the CPD standard 4.1-4.8 - see below.)

2. Reflect on and describe the positive impact the CPD has had (or will have) on your practice and the people you work with.

This could be people with lived experience of social work, colleagues, or students. If you are not currently working, or not in direct practice, you could think about how your CPD activity might benefit people you come into contact with or the profession as a whole. (Social Work England recommend you write about 250 to 500 words).

3. Describe what you have learnt from discussing this CPD activity with a peer

This is an optional question. By answering it for at least one of your pieces of CPD, you will meet Social Work England's requirements to record one piece of CPD with a peer reflection during the registration year. You are expected to write at least 250 words.

Social Work England say: "Peer reflection means that you have discussed the content of your CPD activity with a peer, your manager or another professional.

This discussion can be informal or formal, and can take place in one to one or group settings. The role of the peer is not to approve your learning but to support and help you to think about how you can improve your practice. When discussing your CPD with a peer, you should talk about what you have learnt from doing the CPD and the positive impact the CPD activity has had (or will have) on your role, practice and the people you work with".

Read more guidance from the regulator about peer reflection here

4. Which parts of the CPD standard have you met by doing this activity? By going through the recording process, you will automatically meet standards 4.6 and 4.7. You can use the box below to note the other standards you have met with this piece.

• 4.1 Incorporate feedback from a range of sources, including from people with lived experience of my social work practice.
• 4.2 Use supervision and feedback to critically reflect on, and identify my learning needs, including how I use research and evidence to inform my practice.
• 4.3 Keep my practice up to date and record how I use research, theories and frameworks to inform my practice and my professional judgement.
• 4.4 Demonstrate good subject knowledge on key aspects of social work practice and develop knowledge of current issues in society and social policies impacting on social work.
• 4.5 Contribute to an open and creative learning culture in the workplace to discuss, reflect on and share best practice.
• 4.6 Reflect on my learning activities and evidence what impact continuing professional development has on the quality of my practice.
• 4.7 Record my learning and reflection on a regular basis and in accordance with Social Work England's guidance on continuing professional development.
• 4.8 Reflect on my own values and challenge the impact they have on my practice.

For more information, see  Social Work England’s guidance on CPD .

Add item to CPD Log (SCW)

URL https://adults.ccinform.co.uk/practice-guidance/guide-using-motivational-interviewing-social-work-practice/

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2. How has it contributed to your practice?

3. How much time have you spent on this activity?

4. Next steps (any additional learning you need in this area)?

For more details, visit Social Care Wales

Evans, K (2013) Motivational interviewing. Practice Guidance. Community Care Inform [online] https://adults.ccinform.co.uk/practice-guidance/guide-using-motivational-interviewing-social-work-practice/ [accessed: 27 August 2024]

If you are directly quoting the author's own words from this document you must acknowledge that they are not your own words by putting them within quotes marks, reference the source in the text and then provide the full reference at the end of the document. For example:

In the text: Baim argues that "understanding adult attachment patterns can also help practitioners to more readily identify the behaviour patterns that the client uses to maintain safety and comfort and which also, in some cases, serve to keep the client stuck in behaviour that no longer serves them as adults". (Baim, 2015)

Full reference to insert at the bottom of the document: Baim, C. (2015) Using attachment theory to work with adults, Guide. Community Care Inform Adults [online]. Available at: https://adults.ccinform.co.uk/guides/guide-using-attachment-theory-work-adults/ [accessed: INSERT DATE HERE (eg 9 October 2015)]

Use of Motivational Interviewing in Substance Use Counseling for Adolescents Coping with Addiction

Article sidebar, main article content.

Record ID: 170

Award(s): Excellence in Undergraduate Research Mentorship

Program Affiliation: NA

Presentation Type: Video

Abstract: The adolescent years can be turbulent emotionally, socially, and biologically. The change from childhood to adolescence brings new challenges to maintaining one's mental well-being, like social development, finding a sense of belonging, and in Erik Erikson's developmental theory, finding a "sense of identity in occupation, sex roles, politics, and religion" (cortland.edu, n.d.). Some adolescents seek out brief relief from the emotional toll of adolescent development from alcohol and drugs. Other adolescents use alcohol and drugs and label their behavior as "fun". Regardless of the impetus, when the time comes that usage and using behavior becomes problematic, many methods of intervention are available to the willing helpers and clinicians that work to assist adolescents toward recovery. Of these many interventions, this team will study the effectiveness of Motivational Interviewing as it is used to treat adolescents with substance abuse disorders in both group and individual settings. We will use a scoping review of peer-reviewed studies in PubMed, PsycNet, and Google Scholar, from the past two years to identify interventions that work and discuss areas of intervention that still need improvement for employing Motivational Interviewing based on research. We will present ideas for applying this technique to help adolescents and provide our ideas for moving research in this field ahead to assist adolescents and their families.  

Article Details

Major: Substance Abuse Counseling

Isabella Miller

Shanice southern.