Objective: This study was designed to quantitatively evaluate the effectiveness of motivational interviewing (MI) interventions for adolescent substance use behavior change. Method: Literature searches of electronic databases were undertaken in addition to manual reference searches of identified review articles. Databases searched include…

The effect of readiness to change on treatment outcome was examined among 332 adolescents (46% male, 74% Caucasian), ages 12 through 17 years (M = 14.6, SD = 1.5), with major depressive disorder who were participating in the Treatment for Adolescents With Depression Study (TADS). TADS is a randomized clinical trial comparing the effectiveness of…

This randomized clinical trial compared cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) with minimal parent involvement to CBT with active parent involvement in a sample of 119 youths (7-16 years old; 33.6% Caucasian, 61.3% Latino) with anxiety disorders. The dynamics of change between youth anxiety and parent variables (positive-negative behaviors toward the…

In a recent placebo-controlled comparison, behavioral activation was superior to cognitive therapy in the treatment of moderate to severely depressed adults. Moreover, a subset of patients exhibited a pattern of extreme nonresponse to cognitive therapy on self-reports of depression not evident on the clinician ratings. These patients were severely…

Significant shifts or discontinuities in symptom course can mark points of transition and reveal important change processes. The authors investigated 2 patterns of change in depression--the rapid early response and a transient period of apparent worsening that the authors call a depression spike. Participants were 29 patients diagnosed with major…

Investigated whether behavior modification would improve short- and long-term results of weight control programs for obese patients (N=53) with Type II diabetes. The behavior modification group lost more weight than the nutrition education or standard-care condition during the 16-week treatment, but at 16-month follow-up, weight loss differences…

These findings in concert with case history data suggest that the thought-stopping-covert-assertion treatment "package" may hold considerable promise as an efficient and effective clinical tool. (Author)

Smokers who had received smoking cessation treatment of rapid smoking and behavioral counseling were assigned to one of two maintenance treatments. Treatments included coping-response and Pavlovian-exposure training. One added massed exposure to cigarettes, the other added nonmaintenance control condition. Both forms of maintenance reduced relapse…

Evaluated effects of perceived freedom of choice on behavior change. Subjects were assigned to groups that varied in amount of perceived choice in determining training procedures. Subjects who perceived that they were given choice in training procedures improved significantly more than subjects who lost freedom of choice. (Author/BEF)

Explores whether training can affect the illusory correlation. Materials used by Chapman and Chapman (1969) were used. Attempts were made to influence the illusory correlation by providing a simulated training session. Training was no more effective than nontraining in reducing this phenomenon. This is consistent with Chapman and Chapman (1969).…

Using speech anxiety as the target behavior, this study compared two self-control desensitization procedures. Speech-anxious community residents (N=42) volunteered for participation in the program and were seen within a group context for a total of seven therapy sessions. No differential effectiveness was found between the two desensitization…

In this depression prevention trial, 341 high-risk adolescents (mean age = 15.6 years, SD = 1.2) with elevated depressive symptoms were randomized to a brief group cognitive-behavioral (CB) intervention, group supportive-expressive intervention, bibliotherapy, or assessment-only control condition. CB participants showed significantly greater…

Process and outcome of a smoking cessation program using behavior therapy along (BT) or behavior therapy plus the nicotine patch (BTP) was studied in 64 participants. Abstinence was significantly higher for the BTP group from the end of behavioral treatment (79% vs. 63%) through the three-month follow-up, with the effects weakening at the six- and…

Presents retrospective analysis of cognitive behavior modification which reveals that three major metaphors have been offered to explain the role that cognitions play in behavior change; these metaphors include cognition as form of conditioning, information processing, and, currently, narrative construction. Discusses implications of using each of…

This article advocates the use of a problem-oriented approach for the measurement of change in patient status. The objective is to elicit a small number of specific and important problematic behaviors. Therapists can then rate changes in these behaviors periodically. (Author)