Motivation for treatment preceding and following a substance abuse program.
BACKGROUND
Motivation for treatment is generally considered a powerful predictor of treatment seeking and success in patients with alcohol and drug dependence disorders. Objective measures have seldom been used, however, to assess how motivation is altered during treatment, or the impact of depression/anxiety on motivation.


METHODS
We assessed motivation using the Treatment Motivation Questionnaire (TMQ) in 78 male alcohol- and drug-dependent veterans immediately preceding and following an intensive, 2-week residential substance abuse program. The TMQ assesses four domains of motivation: internal motivation, external motivation, interpersonal help-seeking, and nonconfidence in treatment.


RESULTS
Following treatment, only external motivation changed (decreased), whereas the other dimensions of motivation retained the high levels observed pretreatment. Depression (as measured by the Beck Depression Inventory, BDI) was highly correlated with three of the four domains of motivation, while anxiety (as measured by the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, STAI) was highly correlated solely with internal motivation.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings suggest that depression and anxiety may differentially effect motivation and that external motivation may be quite transient; treatment implications of these findings are discussed. The usefulness of the TMQ in a residential population was also explored.
Cahill
Melissa A
MA
Dallas County Community Supervision and Corrections Department, 9th Floor, 133 North Industrial Boulevard, Dallas, TX 75207, USA. m_cahill@hotmail.com
Adinoff
Bryon
B
Hosig
Heidi
H
Muller
Kellee
K
Pulliam
Carla
C
D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011594:Psychometrics; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014728:Veterans / Q000523:psychology