title: Motivational interviewing to enhance adolescent mental health treatment engagement: a randomized clinical trial.
abstract: The prevalence of anxiety and mood disorders in adolescents is a growing public health concern worldwide. Given the high rates of drop-out and limited resources available in psychiatric settings, the importance of engaging adolescents in evidence-based treatments cannot be understated. The aim of the study was to determine the efficacy of motivational interviewing (MI), as a brief pre-treatment intervention, to enhance treatment engagement in a standard therapy setting (group cognitive behavioral therapy; gCBT) for adolescents with anxiety and mood disorders.
  
  
  
  Ninety-six adolescents (13-18 years) with a principal diagnosis of an anxiety or mood disorder participated in a trial conducted at two publicly funded outpatient services. Participants were randomly assigned to individual MI for treatment engagement prior to gCBT (MI + gCBT), or to an individually administered active control (befriending) prior to gCBT (befriending + gCBT). Eight pairs of gCBT were run in parallel. Outcome measures were the mean number of gCBT sessions attended, treatment initiation, and ratings of readiness for treatment.
  
  
  
  Participants randomized to MI as a pretreatment intervention attended significantly more group therapy sessions compared to those in the active control condition. The MI group also demonstrated greater treatment initiation, and ratings of treatment readiness were significantly higher for those randomized to MI.
  
  
  
  MI, used as a pre-treatment intervention, enhanced group treatment engagement in adolescents diagnosed with anxiety and mood disorders compared to the active control condition. MI is a promising intervention to facilitate engagement in adolescent mental health settings.
authors.affiliation: Social Psychiatry & Population Mental Health Research Unit,University of Otago,Wellington,New Zealand.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dean
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology,University of Canterbury,Christchurch,New Zealand.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Britt
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological Medicine,University of Otago,Wellington,New Zealand.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bell
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health,University of Otago,Wellington,New Zealand.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stanley
authors.affiliation: Social Psychiatry & Population Mental Health Research Unit,University of Otago,Wellington,New Zealand.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Collings
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D062405:Motivational Interviewing / Q000379:methods*; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011615:Psychotherapy, Group / Q000379:methods
keywords: Adolescent mental health; motivational interviewing; treatment engagement