title: Motivational interviewing and clinical psychiatry.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Our objectives were as follows: (1) to survey the literature on motivational interviewing (MI), "a client-centered yet directive method for enhancing intrinsic motivation to change by exploring and resolving client ambivalence" and a well-established method of brief intervention, especially in the field of addictions treatment; (2) to review hypotheses about its mode of action; and (3) to discuss its possible impact on clinical psychiatry, in particular, on teaching communications skills.
  
  
  METHODS
  Literature reviews and metaanalyses of numerous clinical trials of MI for addictions treatment have already been published and are briefly summarized. So far, no literature survey exists for MI applied to psychiatric patients. This review is limited to a synthesis of the articles relevant to psychiatry and to comments based on our team's experiences with MI.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There is no evidence that MI achieves better results than other established techniques for treating addictions; it may simply work faster. The explanation for the method's rapid effectiveness remains speculative. Outcomes concerning the application of MI to psychiatric patients, although preliminary, are promising. Methods of assessing the integrity of MI treatment are more developed than in most psychotherapies, which permits the learning progress of trainees to be measured.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MI offers a complement to usual psychiatric procedures. It may be worthwhile to teach it, not only for addictions but also for other broad treatment issues, such as enhancing patients' medication compliance and professionals' communication skills. Questions remain concerning MI's feasibility in psychiatry settings.
authors.affiliation: Addiction Research Program, Douglas Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec. f.chanut@videotron.ca
authors.forename: Florence
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chanut
authors.forename: Thomas G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Maurice
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dongier
mesh_terms: D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000628:therapy; D009042:Motivation; D011570:Psychiatry / Q000379:methods*