The Therapeutic Alliance In The Context Of A Brief Motivational Intervention For College Student Alcohol Use

To address college student alcohol use, many campuses employ brief interventions. Few studies have investigated the therapeutic alliance directly in the context of these brief interventions for alcohol use with students. The alliance presents as a possibly helpful variable in keeping students engaged in alcohol prevention and intervention efforts. The present study sought to evaluate the specific role of the therapeutic alliance during a brief intervention for alcohol use among college students. Working alliance inventory (WAI) scores before and after students participated in a brief alcohol intervention were evaluated across two meetings, and in relation to alcohol use and consequences two weeks afterwards. WAI scores increased across time. Only ratings of perceived goal agreement negatively correlate with alcohol use at follow-up. College counseling centers might find these results advantageous because they display an element of effective treatment, therapeutic alliance, can be increased in a short period of time. Because the scores as a whole did not correspond to drinking outcomes, students can likely complete this intervention effectively on the computer without a provider present. While this study was limited by a small sample size and short follow-up period, future studies should evaluate the effect of brief interventions without a facilitator.