Motivational Inverviewing as a Mechanism of Change in a Brief Alcohol Interventio

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Alcohol use disorders affect millions of Americans and are associated with many physical, mental, and societal health problems. Prevention of the development of alcohol abuse is necessary to reduce this public health threat. With the increase in the proportion of the population attending post-secondary education, college campuses have become an ideal site to institute prevention programs related to the consumption of alcohol. In-person, brief motivational interventions have been identified as one such efficacious strategy in reducing alcohol use and related harms. However, little is known about the mechanisms of change related to these interventions. The proposed research project is aimed at identifying these mechanisms of change in an established efficacious approach, the Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students (BASICS; Dimeff, et al., 1999) program. The broad, long-term objective of this study is to improve the delivery of brief.alcohol interventions on college campuses. The use of motivational interviewing (Ml) as a delivery style has been proposed as an essential element in the efficacy of these interventions in reducing harmful drinking among college students (Walters & Baer, 2005). In addition, peer providers are emerging as a plentiful and cost-effective resource in the delivery of these interventions (Larimer & Cronce, in press). The current study will employ previously established coding methodologies to identify the elements of change related to the use of a motivational interviewing style by peer providers. The current project aims to meet the mission statement and strategic planning goals of the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism by identifying ways to improve the delivery and broaden the reach of already established efficacious, alcohol interventions with college students. The award would also aid in the ethical, methodological, and clinical training and development of a promising new researcher to address the growing need for cost-effective alcohol prevention and treatment service research.