Mini Workshop 1 - Use of Motivational Interviewing for Individuals with PTSD: Ways to Increase Treatment Engagement, Retention, and Readiness to Change

Friday, November 18, 2022

8:00 AM – 9:30 AM EST

Location: Marquis Ballroom B, 9th Floor

Earn 1.5 CE Credit

Keywords: Motivational Interviewing, PTSD (Posttraumatic Stress Disorder), Therapy Process
Recommended Readings: Seal, K. H., Abadjian, L., McCamish, N., Shi, Y., Tarasovsky, G., & Weingardt, K. (2012). A randomized controlled trial of telephone motivational interviewing to enhance mental health treatment engagement in Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. General hospital psychiatry, 34(5), 450-459.
Marker, I., & Norton, P. J. (2018). The efficacy of incorporating motivational interviewing to cognitive behavior therapy for anxiety disorders: A review and meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology Review, 62, 1-10.
Lundahl, B. W., Kunz, C., Brownell, C., Tollefson, D., & Burke, B. L. (2010). Research Article A Meta-Analysis of Motivational Interviewing: Twenty-Five Years of Empirical Studies. Research on Social Work Practice, 20(2), 137–160. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049731509347850
Murphy, R. T., Thompson, K. E., Murray, M., Rainey, Q., & Uddo, M. M. (2009). Effect of a motivation enhancement intervention on veterans’ engagement in PTSD treatment. Psychological Services, 6(4), 264–278. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0017577
Westra, H. A., & Aviram, A. (2013). Core skills in motivational interviewing. Psychotherapy, 50(3), 273.

Presenter(s)

Debra Kaysen, ABPP, Ph.D.

Professor
Stanford University
Palo Alto, California
Denise Walker, Ph.D.

Research Professor
University of Washington, Seattle
Seattle, Washington

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is prevalent and associated with high individual and societal costs. There are effective interventions for PTSD which are increasingly disseminated throughout healthcare systems. However, individuals often do not access these treatments, and even for those who do, they may not receive an effective dose of treatment. Of those with PTSD, less than half ask for help, and of those referred to specialty care less than half complete the referral. Motivational interviewing has been recommended as one way to strengthen treatment engagement among those seeking treatment for PTSD. However, these recommendations do not typically provide guidance about how to deliver Motivational Interviewing (MI) for individuals with PTSD or how to integrate these practices into an evidence-based PTSD intervention.
The purpose of this workshop is to provide attendees the basics of delivering Motivational Interviewing for individuals with PTSD. MI is a widely applied and well-researched intervention (Miller & Rollnick, 2012) aimed at helping individuals resolve ambivalence for behavior change. Motivational Interviewing has been evaluated as a prelude to treatment (Kantor, et al., 2017), an adjunct to existing treatment such as CBT (Steinberg et al., 2002), stand-alone treatment (Project MATCH; Miller, 1992) and as aftercare or maintenance intervention (Walker et al., 2015, 2016). This workshop includes an overview on why MI can be particularly useful when working with individuals with PTSD and when MI may be appropriate. Following a review of research on MI, participants will receive an overview on the principles of MI. Lastly we will discuss the StressCheck as one example of an MI-based intervention, with feedback. We will discuss using the StressCheck, as an example of the use of MI to increase treatment engagement. Specific topics such as how to MI skills to address ambivalence and avoidance behavior, use of MI to promote treatment selection and adherence, how to recognize change talk for people with PTSD, and using MI to address co-occurring problems will also be discussed.

Outline:

1. Overview on the core tenets of MI.
2. Review of common challenges in PTSD treatment
3. How to use MI to address common challenges in PTSD treatment
4. Use of MI skills to address ambivalence and avoidance behavior
5. Use of MI to promote treatment selection and adherence
6. Change talk for people with PTSD
7. Using MI to address co-occurring problems

Learning Objectives:

At the end of the session, the learner will be able to:

Review MI principles and techniques as applied to the treatment of PTSD.
Assess when it is appropriate to use MI in PTSD treatment.
Identify four areas of PTSD treatment and engagement that may benefit from the use of MI.
Recognize examples of change talk for individuals with PTSD.
Discuss how MI may be useful during PTSD treatment in addressing co-occurring disorders.
Long-Term Goal: Recognize ways in which core tenets of MI practice may enhance PTSD treatment.
Long-Term Goal: Identify strategies to build change talk among people with PTSD.