Dismantling Motivational Interviewing and Feedback for College Drinkers

Excessive alcohol consumption has been a growing problem at many US colleges. In response, colleges and universities have instituted a range of alcohol intervention and prevention programs for students. Motivational Interviewing (MI) is one brief intervention that has been shown to reduce heavy drinking among college students. To date, all college studies of MI have used a format that includes an assessment and feedback delivered in an MI style. Although this format has considerable empirical support, it remains unclear which of the components is necessary to produce behavior change. This study will evaluate the separate and collective effects of MI and feedback among "binge" drinking college students. Additionally, this study will evaluate the effects of the initial drinking assessment, through including a delayed-assessment control group. After an initial screen, 350 students at Southern Methodist University who report at least one heavy (i.e., "binge") episode during the previous two weeks will be randomized to: (1) MI with feedback, (2) MI without feedback, (3) Mailed feedback only, (4) Assessment only, or (5) Delayed assessment only. MI sessions will be delivered by trained and supervised counselors. Participants will be assessed via a secure Internet site at baseline, 3, 6 and 12 months (12 months only for the Delayed-assessment group), with primary outcome measures including self-reported quantity and frequency of drinking, and drinking-related problems. Since college drinking is associated with substantial negative effects for drinkers, as well as for others, the findings of this study may have significant public health implications in terms of reducing costs, and improving services for students who choose to drink.