December 22, 2010 - A study published December 20, 2010 in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology found that motivational interviewing produced only modest improvement for people in treatment for smoking cessation. Peter S. Hendricks, Ph.D., University of Alabama at Birmingham, found the results surprising since motivational interviewing has proven to be an effective strategy in treatment for other addictions. One reason may be that most smokers are not ambivalent about quitting – most already want to stop smoking. It is estimated that 70 percent of smokers want to quit, 80 percent have tried to quit, and at any given time almost half of all smokers are actively trying to stop smoking.

While it may not be the ideal treatment for all adults, Hendricks’ work did show that motivational interviewing may be promising for adolescents and those with medical problems, low tobacco dependence or little motivation to quit. For these reasons, Hendricks says that researchers should continue to explore the efficacy of motivational interviewing for smoking cessation, paying particular attention to potential moderating factors.

For more information:
http://main.uab.edu/Sites/MediaRelations/articles/82666/

http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/ccp/78/6/868/