Motivational interviewing with less motivated driving under the influence of alcohol second offenders with an exploration of the processes related to change

A residential treatment and education program for second DUI offenders was the setting for two studies of the change process in the early stages of motivation to reduce problem drinking. Study One. This study explored the mechanisms by which subjects in a sample of 176 second DUI offenders moved from earlier to later stages of change. Clusters were identified that represented two levels of motivation. One discriminant function was found to discriminate between advancers and nonadvancers between the Unmotivated and the Motivated clusters. The processes strongly related to this function were self liberation, self reevaluation, and environmental reevaluation. These discriminating processes were consistent with those predicted by the Transtheoretical model to be involved in change at early stages. Contrary to the Transtheoretical model, consciousness raising and dramatic relief were not related to the discriminant function. The two clusters were also not consistent with the Transtheoretical theory. These clusters reflected a dichotomous model of motivation rather than a model of four or five stages. Study Two. The goal of this study was to determine if Motivational Interviewing would be helpful to problem drinkers who are least motivated. This study used a double-blind, random assignment, attention-placebo controlled design to test the efficacy of MI with court mandated Driving Under the Influence (DUI) second offenders who declined treatment but who volunteered for a study requiring them to participate in interviews. There were no significant differences in alcohol intake on all three self report measures at 6 months follow-up. Of six potential covariates the best predictors of outcome were the measures of URICA Precontemplation subscale, the AUDIT and the new Defensiveness scale. There were significant interactions between Precontemplation and treatment condition on two of three outcome variables; total drinks consumed and number of drinking days at six month follow-u (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)