Motivational interviewing
Introduction
An interview is always a crucial part of the relationship between two persons and when a person has a problem, it is important that the interview creates motivation for the subject. A typical example would be someone suffering from drug abuse but wanting to make amends for his/her actions.
Questions should be as direct and first of all the interviewee should be put at ease immediately. A typical example would be to ask for the background of the person in question to create a rapport between interviewee and the person being interviewed. Motivation is very important from the start as the person will not unwind and exaplain his/her difficulties if faced with boring one liners without any sort of direction.
Motivational interviewing is also useful when confronted with persons who are in the early stages of substance abuse addiction. Bager and Vilstrup (2010) discuss this topic at length focusing on certain subtle tactics which may influence the interviewee to talk more about his/her own personal experiences. Naturally this has to be carefully monitored by the interviewer who should continue to focus on the various aspects of the person’s statements to prompt further questions. It is also useful to split interviewees into different groups thus observing certain characteristics when faced with situations such as drug abstinence and the perceived clarity after such an experience is undertaken.
The experiment at Aarhus Hospital was intriguing as it produced different results than those expected but notionally it does prove that motivational interviewing has its own successes.
Brown and Dongier (2009) argue that brief motivational interviewing is also important for those who wish to assess the situation of certain persons suffering from substance abuse. Through experiments conducted on random persons, it was found that 30 minute motivational interviews were a susbstantial success in creating a blueprint for the proper assessment of such situations. The interviewees opened up quite quickly and they could provide their interviewers with basic facts about their predicament and this also assisted the interviewers to come up with treatment programmes which were suited to the patient’s needs.
Campbell, Adamson and Carter (2010) argue that motivational interviewing is also important in guaging the effects of substnace abuse and to what levels treatment can be applied. This is obviously an important approach to take as the analysis of client language during these sessions provides valuable data for the interviewer. This data is then analysed in great detail and treatment methods are formulated to assess the finer aspects of the problem in question.
These three articles make a strong case for motivational interviewing in cases of substance dependence but particularly where alcohol and drug abuse is concerned. MI shows that patients can be made to open up quite wholly and creates a situation where narratives and talking about experiences may offer valuable information for treatment. To sum up, motivational interviewing continues to offer a blueprint on the future of drug dependency treatment as well as creating opportunities for the better assessment of such situations and other parallel situations.
References:
Bager, P., & Vilstrup, H. (2010). Post-Discharge Brief Intervention Increases the
Frequency of Alcohol Abstinence-a Randomized Trial. Journal of Addictions Nursing,
21(1), 37-41. http://informahealthcare.com/doi/abs/10.3109/10884601003628104
Brown, T. G., Dongier, M., Ouimet, M. C., Tremblay, J., Chanut, F., Legault, L., & Kin
Nmkny. (2010). Brief Motivational Interviewing for Dwi Recidivists Who Abuse
Alcohol and Are Not Participating in Dwi Intervention: a Randomized Controlled Trial.
Alcoholism-Clinical and Experimental Research, 34(2), 292-301.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1530-0277.2009.01092.x/abstract
Campbell, S. D., Adamson, S. J., & Carter, J. D. (2010). Client Language During
Motivational Enhancement Therapy and Alcohol Use Outcome. Behavioural and
Cognitive Psychotherapy, 38(4), 399-415.
http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=7818671&f
ulltextType=RA&fileId=S1352465810000263
