Motivation for reducing substance use among minority adolescents: targets for intervention

Motivation to change substance use is considered to be one of the most important predictors of client readiness for alcohol and other drug treatment and ability to benefit from treatment. Enhancing motivation to change substance use is an important emphasis of many substance use intervention programs. The specific factors predicting motivation to change substance use remain largely unidentified and poorly understood, particularly among racial/ethnic minority youth. This study examines the influence of adolescent and parental factors on motivation to change substance use among 310 alcohol-using and/or drug-using racial/ethnic minority adolescent males. The analytic plan involved the use of structural equation modeling. Adolescents' motivation to change substance use was influenced directly and indirectly by parental factors, as well as by adolescent substance use severity and externalizing disorders. Findings have implications for treatment with racial/ethnic minority youth, as parental factors may be exceptionally useful targets for interventions aimed at enhancing motivation to reduce substance use among these at-risk youth.