A comparison of personalized feedback for college student drinkers delivered with and without a motivational interview.
OBJECTIVE
This study evaluated the relative efficacy of personalized drinking feedback (PDF) delivered with and without a motivational interview (MI) for college student drinkers.


METHODS
Heavy-drinking college students (N = 54; 691% female) were identified from a large screening sample and randomly assigned either to receive PDF during a single MI session or to receive PDF without an MI. Of these participants, 51 (94%) completed a 6-month follow-up assessment that included measures of alcohol consumption and alcohol-related problems.


RESULTS
At 6-months postintervention, participants in both groups showed significant, small to moderate reductions in alcohol consumption, but the groups did not differ. Women showed larger reductions than men. Rates of alcohol-related problems remained relatively unchanged.


CONCLUSIONS
The hypothesis that an MI would enhance the efficacy of PDF was not supported.
Murphy
James G
JG
Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Box G-BH, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, USA. James_Murphy@Brown.edu
Benson
Trisha A
TA
Vuchinich
Rudy E
RE
Deskins
Mary M
MM
Eakin
David
D
Flood
Amanda M
AM
McDevitt-Murphy
Meghan E
ME
Torrealday
Ohiana
O
D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005246:Feedback; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods; D009042:Motivation; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014495:Universities