The Feasibility, Acceptability, and Effectiveness of a School-Based Motivational Interviewing Intervention for Adolescent Females

Motivational Interviewing (MI) is an evidence-based therapeutic approach shown to elicit behavior change in adolescents engaged in risky behavior. MI is used to increase the individuals feeling of self-efficacy and outcome expectancy. Female adolescents engaged in substance use, sexual activity and identified as academically disengaged were provided an MI intervention in their alternative education setting. According to the Social Cognitive Theory, MI is well suited toward supporting individual behavior change. Results showed that MI is an acceptable intervention to at-risk adolescent females. However, feasibility considerations highlighted the implementation barriers present in this alternative high school as well as those in public school settings. Due to an unacceptably high attrition rate, results on MI effectiveness were inconclusive. Future research should focus on prevention and intervention programs that can be implemented with fidelity in alternative and general school settings