Motivational Interviews for Incarcerated Teens - 1

The objective of this research is to investigate ways to enhance motivation for treatment
and effectively reduce substance abuse among juvenile offenders. Motivational intervention
(MI) as preparation for residential treatment and for persons (including teens) with little
motivation to change has been effective in reducing substance abuse. Thus, MI designed for
delinquent youths who are required to attend substance abuse treatment may prove
efficacious.

In this proposed randomized trial, a one-way design (MI + Standard Care [SC] v. Attention
Control [AC] + SC) will be used to determine whether MI enhances subsequent treatment
participation and reduces substance-related problems post discharge in substance using,
delinquent youths. Teens will also receive a booster session of MI or AC prior to discharge.
Primary outcome variables include alcohol and marijuana use, as well as related behaviors
(illegal activity, sex or injuries while drunk or high). It is hypothesized that in
comparison to teens receiving AC, youths receiving MI will participate more (by therapist
and teen ratings) in SC and will show the lowest levels of heavy substance use and related
problems after discharge. It is hypothesized that these effects will be mediated by stage of
change, drug effect expectancies and self-efficacy.

This study will extend previous research by evaluating the use of MI with substance abusing
teens in a correctional facility, and by expanding outcome measures to include alcohol and
marijuana-related risk behavior (such as injuries and illegal activity when drunk or high)
in this population. The development of effective interventions for substance using juvenile
offenders has the potential to reduce substance abuse and crime in this population.

Inclusion Criteria:

Teens will be included if they meet any of the following criteria: 1) in the year prior to
incarceration they used marijuana regularly (at least monthly); 2) in the year prior to
incarceration they drank regularly (at least monthly) or binged (>=5 for boys; >=4 for
girls) over any two week period or less; 3) they used marijuana or drank in the 4 weeks
before the offense for which they were incarcerated; or 4) they used marijuana or drank in
the 4 weeks before they were incarcerated.

Exclusion Criteria:

Those teens sentenced for less than 4 months or greater than 12 months will be excluded
from participation. We estimate that during year 1 we will exclude an additional 25% of
youths because they will have previously participated in the study, and at year 2 we
anticipate excluding an additional 49% of youths based on prior participation in the
study.