Motivational interviewing in the treatment of psychological problems: Conclusions and future directions

Motivational interviewing (MI) a firmly established treatment for substance use disorders and health-related problems. It has a solid research base to support its efficacy and is widely used in many different settings and countries. The time seems ripe to examine the extension of MI to other clinical problems. The chapters in this book represent significant beginnings of the application of MI and related procedures to mental health problems and populations not previously treated with MI. The data presented by the authors suggest that MI and MI-related procedures have positively influenced the way treatment is conducted, resulting in the enhancement of treatment engagement and outcomes. The clinical applications of these procedures vary considerably in their degree of research support. Some chapters describe clinical proposals that can pave the way for research. Others present either pilot data or initial studies evaluating their approaches. Overall, the preliminary results seem very promising, though clearly much remains to be investigated and learned. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)