Motivational interviewing with alcohol outpatients

32 outpatients from a substance abuse treatment program were assigned to receive or not receive a brief motivational intervention in addition to standard outpatient treatment. The additional intervention consisted of 2 additional hours of assessment and a 1-hr motivational interview. Control Ss received the same additional assessment but with an attention-placebo interview instead. Ss assigned to receive the additional intervention demonstrated superior clinical outcome at 3-mo follow-up on a composite variable composed of 3 variables: (1) total standard drinks, (2) peak blood alcohol level, and (3) percent days abstinent. By 6-mo follow-up, the superiority of the treatment group was modest and no longer significant. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)