The Impact of Motivation to Change on Substance Use among Adolescents in Treatment

Clinicians emphasize the importance of motivation to change for effecting recovery from substance abuse disorders. However, little is known about motivation to change substance-abusing behavior among adolescents or its impact on treatment outcomes. The present research examines motivation to change among youth admitted to publicly funded substance abuse services and its influence on treatment outcomes. Data are based on interviews with 129 youth between 12 and 18 years of age. Multilevel (HLM) analyses are used to assess the relationship between substance use and motivation to change at the time of treatment admission and roughly one year later. Results suggest that more serious substance users are motivated better to change at the outset of treatment and experience more rapid declines in substance use after treatment begins.