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Abstract
This study compared a Motivational Interviewing inspired group intervention with standard care in naturalistic alcohol/other drug abuse samples. A community-recruited alcohol/other drug abuse or dependent sample (N = 67) was provided up to four sessions of groupadapted Motivational Interviewing (GAMI). Newly admitted patients (N = 64) in two multimodal treatment settings were also recruited. Quasi-experimental comparison of outcomes from GAMI versus real-world standard care (SC) indicated significant within-group improvement on all main outcomes in both groups. SC was associated with significantly more abstinence days, and better family and social outcomes at six-month posttreatment compared to GAMI. Differences in reductions in alcohol or drug-related dysfunction were not detected. Thus, group-delivered MI intervention was associated with significant improvements in alcohol/other drug use outcomes. However, consideration of group-delivered MI as a replacement for more intensive standard care is, for the moment, uncertain.
