Question

what is the recommended psychotherapy evidenced-based approach to use a brief mental health intervention for adolescents at risk for substance use disorders?

motivational interviewing
parent management training
problem-solving skills training
supportive psychotherapy

Explanation:

🆕 New Concept Discovered: SBIRT and Brief Interventions
A clinical framework for early identification and quick, collaborative counseling.

Step 1: Analyze the clinical scenario

The question asks for a recommended, evidence-based psychotherapy approach designed specifically as a brief mental health intervention for adolescents at risk for substance use disorders.

Key elements to consider:

• Target population: Adolescents at risk (subclinical or early-stage risk, rather than severe, chronic dependence).
• Format: Brief intervention (typically 1 to 5 short sessions).
• Goal: Reduce substance use or prevent escalation.

Step 2: Evaluate the options against evidence-based practices

• Motivational Interviewing (MI): This is a collaborative, person-centered guiding style to elicit and strengthen motivation for change. In pediatric and adolescent medicine, MI is the gold-standard, evidence-based approach for brief interventions (such as the Brief Negotiated Interview under the SBIRT framework) targeting substance use. It is highly effective for adolescents because it respects their autonomy and avoids confrontational dynamics.
• Parent Management Training (PMT): This is an intensive behavioral intervention focused on training parents to manage children's disruptive behaviors (such as conduct problems or ADHD). It is not a brief, direct adolescent intervention for substance use.
• Problem-Solving Skills Training (PSST): While useful for cognitive-behavioral therapy, it is typically part of a longer, structured treatment program for conduct issues or depression rather than a standalone brief intervention for substance risk.
• Supportive Psychotherapy: This is a general, non-directive therapeutic approach. While helpful for general distress, it lacks the specific, evidence-based structure and targeted efficacy of MI for rapid substance use risk reduction.

Answer:

Motivational Interviewing