Research & Resources

Value of even brief substance abuse interviews highlighted.

Researchers conducted a randomized, controlled trial to determine the benefits of a 15-minute motivational interviewing session on risk factors for alcohol and marijuana use in a primary care setting for at-risk adolescents (ages 12–18). They found significant effects on several risk factors or consequences of use, including less perceived peer use of alcohol and marijuana and negative alcohol consequences experienced compared to participants who underwent the usual care. This study highlights the value of even a brief intervention in primary care settings on substance use among adolescents. This study, “Brief motivational interviewing intervention to reduce alcohol and marijuana use for at-risk adolescents in primary care,” was published recently in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, and was supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and utilized its screening tools. 
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