Motivational Interviewing in socio-educational family programs with adolescents:A systematic review

Abstract

Socio-educational family programs are recommended strategies for prevention and the promotion of healthy habits in adolescents. Motivational interviewing (MI) aims to enhance motivation and commitment to change. Thus, the objective of this review is to examine socio-educational and family-based programs for adolescents that incorporate MI, in order to analyze their main features, MI integration, training of MI professionals, and results in effectivity and retention. To do so, following the PRISMA guidelines, a systematic review was made by searching the main scientific databases and taking studies published between 1999 and 2019. A total of 20 studies were selected and analyzed in this paper. Results show that MI is mostly face-to-face and embedded in the programs. There is a variety in the profiles of MI professionals and a thorough training. Although there is no improvement in participants’ retention levels, positive results in their healthy habits are obtained. More research is needed to determine the specific effects of MI application in socio-educational programs.