Depressive Symptoms, Drinking Consequences, and Motivation to Change in First Time DWI Offenders

Abstract

Background: Psychological disorders are common among driving-while-intoxicated (DWI) offenders; thus, a DWI arrest may serve as an important opportunity for further screening and subsequent treatment. Objectives: The current study examined the extent to which mild to moderate pretreatment depressive symptoms, as measured by the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), could predict intervention outcomes in 284 first-time DWI offenders. Methods: Participants were given drinking-related and psychosocial assessments at the beginning and end of a 10-week intervention and at 6- and 12-month follow-ups. Results: After the intervention and at both follow-ups, all participants reported declines in depressive symptoms, alcohol consumption, and negative drinking consequences and higher self-efficacy to avoid high-risk drinking. It was notable, however, that offenders with depressive symptoms reported more drinking-related consequences and lower self-efficacy at all time points, but greater motivation to change their drinking behavior. Conclusions: The findings suggest that offenders with depressive symptoms have more severe symptomatology than nondepressed offenders but may be more amenable to changing their drinking. Scientific Significance: The BDI may be a useful screening tool for determining which offenders are in need of an intervention following a DWI arrest.

Keywords:

• Alcohol
• BDI
• depressive symptoms
• DUI
• DWI
• motivation
• self-efficacy

Notes

¹Project MATCH employed the University of Rhode Island Change Assessment (URICA), which is a different measure of readiness to change than the SOC; however, the URICA yields the same four subscales as the SOC.

²When we conducted the analyses with the self-efficacy subscales individually, the pattern of findings was nearly the same for all subscales. Thus, only a summary self-efficacy score is presented here.