Motivational Interviewing

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of Motivational Interviewing (MI) in enhancing extracurricular involvement and emotional self-efficacy among individuals with learning disabilities. A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 30 participants diagnosed with learning disabilities. Participants were randomly assigned to an intervention group (n = 15) receiving eight 90-minute sessions of MI or a control group (n = 15) receiving no intervention. Assessments were conducted at baseline, post-intervention, and at a five-month follow-up using the Student Engagement in Extracurricular Activities Scale (SEAS) and the Emotional Self-Efficacy Scale (ESES). Data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA and Bonferroni post-hoc tests in SPSS-27. The intervention group showed significant improvements in extracurricular involvement (baseline mean = 25.67, SD = 3.12; post-intervention mean = 35.78, SD = 4.23; follow-up mean = 34.45, SD = 4.01) compared to the control group (baseline mean = 24.89, SD = 3.24; post-intervention mean = 25.12, SD = 3.30; follow-up mean = 25.05, SD = 3.28). Similarly, emotional self-efficacy scores significantly increased in the intervention group (baseline mean = 55.34, SD = 6.45; post-intervention mean = 68.23, SD = 7.01; follow-up mean = 66.45, SD = 6.78) compared to the control group (baseline mean = 54.78, SD = 6.51; post-intervention mean = 55.23, SD = 6.63; follow-up mean = 54.90, SD = 6.52). The ANOVA results indicated significant main effects of group and time, and significant interactions between time and group for both variables (p < .001). Motivational Interviewing significantly enhances extracurricular involvement and emotional self-efficacy among individuals with learning disabilities. These findings suggest that MI is an effective intervention for improving participation and emotional skills in this population.

Objective: The present study aimed to design an educational package based on Motivational Interviewing, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Compassion-Focused Therapy and evaluate its effectiveness on alexithymia and quality of life in patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in Tehran. Method: This study employed a quasi-experimental design with a control group and pre-test, post-test, and follow-up assessments. Forty women with MS, who visited the MS Association in Tehran Province from October to February 2021, were selected based on research criteria through purposive sampling and were randomly assigned to two groups (using a random number table). After random assignment, one of the groups was randomly designated as the experimental group, receiving the researcher-developed integrative treatment package, and the other as the control group (n=20). The data collection tools included a demographic information questionnaire, the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (Bagby, Taylor, & Parker, 1994), and the Multiple Sclerosis Quality of Life-54 Instrument (Ware et al., 1988). Data were collected at three stages: baseline, post-intervention, and three-month follow-up. The research hypotheses were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA and Bonferroni post hoc tests. Findings: The results of this study indicated that the educational package based on Motivational Interviewing, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Compassion-Focused Therapy significantly improved alexithymia (F=24.31, P<0.001) and quality of life (F=22.67, P<0.001) in women with MS. Conclusion: It can be concluded that the educational package based on Motivational Interviewing, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Compassion-Focused Therapy is effective in improving alexithymia and quality of life in women with MS.