Motivational talks beat no treatment for drinking, drugs and diet, but not smoking

The review

1. 01

   Who took part

   The 30 trials ranged from 22 to 952 people, with about 206 on average. Most were about drinking (15), drugs (5) or diet and exercise (4).

2. 02

   What they did

   The talks were one-to-one and in person, about 100 minutes in total on average. Some were the whole treatment; others came before other care. Comparison groups got nothing, a brief contact, or another treatment.

3. 03

   What happened

   Compared with nothing or a brief contact, the talks cut drinking by a small to medium amount. Drug use and diet and exercise improved by a medium amount, but smoking and HIV risk did not. Against other treatments the talks did about the same, study quality varied, and smoking and HIV rest on two studies.

What the review found

1. Helped

   Motivational talks cut drinking more than the other group did.

   • Action: Talk through your mixed feelings about changingtested
   • Rule: With a coach or therapistused

   Pooled analysis of 0 studies · vs people who got nothing or only a brief contact · ⚠ whole programmes were tested, so no single part can be credited; mixes trials with other kinds of study

2. Helped

   Motivational talks cut drug use more than the other group did.

   • Action: Talk through your mixed feelings about changingtested
   • Rule: With a coach or therapistused

   Pooled analysis of 3 studies · vs people who got nothing or only a brief contact · ⚠ whole programmes were tested, so no single part can be credited; mixes trials with other kinds of study

3. Helped

   Motivational talks helped with diet and exercise problems more than the other group did.

   • Action: Talk through your mixed feelings about changingtested
   • Rule: With a coach or therapistused

   Pooled analysis of 4 studies · vs people who got nothing or only a brief contact · ⚠ whole programmes were tested, so no single part can be credited; mixes trials with other kinds of study

4. No difference

   Motivational talks did not cut smoking more than the other group did.

   • Action: Talk through your mixed feelings about changingtested
   • Rule: With a coach or therapistused

   Pooled analysis of 2 studies · vs people who got nothing or only a brief contact · ⚠ whole programmes were tested, so no single part can be credited; mixes trials with other kinds of study

Source