Does clinician continuity over two brief motivational sessions improve outcomes in college students?

Abstract

Previous research has shown that brief motivational interventions (BMIs) are an effective treatment approach for reducing college student alcohol use and associated negative consequences. The purpose of this study was to determine whether clinician continuity (having the same vs. a different clinician) across an initial BMI and follow-up booster session was related to differences in session satisfaction, self-reported alcohol use, and alcohol-related negative consequences. Participants included 358 undergraduate students who were part of a larger randomized clinical trial. Results revealed no significant differences in alcohol use and associated consequences at follow-up between participants who met with the same versus a different clinician. Clinician continuity was not significantly related to intervention fidelity in terms of BMI-consistent qualities, relevance of information presented, or session satisfaction. These findings suggest that clinician continuity across BMIs for college students is not related to participant satisfaction or intervention effectiveness, especially if the clinicians adhere to empirically supported techniques.