title: Evidence for optimism: behavior therapies and motivational interviewing in adolescent substance abuse treatment.
abstract: This article reviews behavior therapies, motivational interviewing interventions, and combined behavioral-psychosocial therapies across 34 peer-reviewed publications. Studies were included if they involved youth with alcohol and other drug (AOD) use, included measures of AOD outcomes, and used controlled research designs with a control or comparison condition. The level of empirical support of the interventions was evaluated using established guidelines. The article determined that behavior therapies were "probably efficacious," and motivational interviewing interventions easily met the criteria for "promising." Because of small sample sizes, combined behavioral-psychosocial therapies marginally met the criteria for "promising." The findings from this article underscore the value of individual and group behavior therapies and motivational interviewing in helping reduce mild to serious AOD use among adolescents.
authors.affiliation: Community-Based Intervention Research Group, College of Public Health and Social Work, Florida International University, 11200 SW 8th Street, Miami, FL 33199, USA. Macgowan@fiu.edu
authors.forename: Mark J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Macgowan
authors.forename: Bretton
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Engle
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001521:Behavior Therapy / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration; D003156:Community Mental Health Services; D003376:Counseling; D006801:Humans; D012574:Schools / Q000458:organization & administration; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000628:therapy*