title: A pilot study of motivation and treatment completion among American Indian adolescents in substance abuse treatment.
abstract: This study assessed intrinsic and extrinsic motivation toward treatment among American Indian adolescents 13-18 years old admitted to a residential substance abuse treatment program and the relationship of these measures to treatment completion. Participants completed a questionnaire regarding motivation towards treatment and a diagnostic interview. Participant treatment records were also reviewed. Being an older adolescent (16-18 years old), having higher scores on a scale measuring treatment readiness and endorsing a single question regarding concern about legal problems were all associated with treatment completion. The relationship of an additional scale measuring desire for help with substance use problems was mediated by the measure of treatment readiness. This pilot study is the first to assess the relationship of motivation toward substance abuse treatment completion among American Indian adolescents and provides preliminary evidence of the applicability of these concepts to this treatment population. These concepts and their related therapeutic approaches warrant further study in this population.
authors.affiliation: National Center for American Indian and Alaska Native Mental Health Research, University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center, Nighthorse Campbell Native Health Building, Aurora, CO 80045-0508, USA. Alexandra.Fickenscher@uchsc.edu
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fickenscher
authors.forename: Douglas K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Novins
authors.forename: Janette
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Beals
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D010352:Patient Dropouts; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012114:Residential Treatment; D016320:Substance Abuse Treatment Centers; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology