The effectiveness of motivational enhancement therapy in adolescent smoking cessation

The effectiveness of Motivational Enhancement Therapy (MET) (Miller & Rollnick, 1991) as an adolescent smoking intervention was compared against a school-based Tobacco Education Group (TEG) and a waiting-list control group. Forty-six junior high and high school students participated in the study. Twenty-four students were randomly assigned to participate in a modified version of MET. The students were provided five sessions of MET that included Motivational Interviewing (Miller, 1988), Adolescent Smokers Check-Up (ASCU) exercises, and motivational feedback. Fifteen students were randomly assigned to participate in the TEG group. The TEG students were provided information regarding the risks of smoking, viewed antismoking videos, and participated in group discussions regarding smoking-related topics (e.g., risks of smoking, social pressures to smoke, etc.). Seventeen students were randomly placed on a 30-day waiting list. The results indicated that MET was effective in reducing adolescent smoking as well as increasing motivation to change, self-efficacy, quit attempts, and interest in participating in a smoking cessation program. The TEG group had the most quit attempts, but otherwise had fewer favorable outcomes. Analyses of moderator variables indicated that students with an internal locus-of-control, those in lower stages-of-change, and those with low self-efficacy showed the greatest benefits from the MET intervention. Limitations of the study and directions for future research are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)