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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2013 Oct;45(4):370-5.
doi: 10.1016/j.jsat.2013.05.006. Epub 2013 Jun 28.

Ethnicity as a moderator of motivational interviewing for incarcerated adolescents after release

Mary Clair  1 , L A R Stein, Shayna Soenksen, Rosemarie A Martin, Rebecca Lebeau, Charles Golembeske
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Ethnicity as a moderator of motivational interviewing for incarcerated adolescents after release

Mary Clair et al. J Subst Abuse Treat. 2013 Oct.

Abstract

Motivational interviewing (MI) has been found to be an effective treatment for substance using populations, including incarcerated adolescents. Although some studies suggest MI is more successful with individuals from minority backgrounds, the research remains mixed. The current study investigated the impact of ethnicity on treatment in reducing alcohol and marijuana use among incarcerated adolescents. Adolescents (14-19 years of age) were recruited from a state juvenile correctional facility and randomly assigned to receive MI or relaxation therapy (RT) (N=147; 48 White, 51 Hispanic, and 48 African American; 126 male; 21 female). Interviews were conducted at admission to the facility and 3 months after release. Results suggest that the effects of MI on treatment outcomes are moderated by ethnicity. Hispanic adolescents who received MI significantly decreased total number of drinks on heavy drinking days (NDHD) and percentage of heavy drinking days (PHDD) as compared to Hispanic adolescents who received RT. These findings suggest that MI is an efficacious treatment for an ethnic minority juvenile justice-involved population in need of evidence-based treatments.

Keywords: Adolescents; Alcohol; Ethnicity; Incarceration; Motivational interviewing.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Treatment by ethnicity interaction for percentage of heavy drinking days (PHDD; log-transformed) at 3-month follow-up. RT = relaxation therapy; MI = motivational interviewing; *p < .05.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Treatment by ethnicity interaction for total number of drinks on heavy drinking days (NDHD; log-transformed) at 3-month follow-up. RT = relaxation therapy; MI = motivational interviewing; *p < .05.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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