Measuring motivational interviewing self-efficacy of pre-service students completing a competency-based motivational interviewing course

Abstract

Background: Improving health outcomes requires health care practitioners to work collaboratively with clients to make healthy lifestyle changes. Motivational interviewing (MI) is an evidence-based approach found to evoke and support behavior change. Objective: The aim of this study was to examine changes over time in pre-service professional students' confidence in their MI skills after a 15-week interprofessional MI course. Methods: Students (N = 22) completed a newly developed 24-item Motivational Interviewing Confidence Survey (MICS pre and post participation in the course). Summary statistics, initial scale reliability assessment and t-tests were carried out. Results: MICS was a reliable measure (Cronbach's a = 0.98) and detected significant changes in students' self-perceived skill set. Using t-tests, significant differences were noted in pre- and post-assessments in students' confidence in their skills; students (p values<0.001) demonstrated significant gains in confidence on 23 of 24 MICS items. Conclusion: After participating in the course, students' confidence in their MI skills improved significantly. Adding pre-service training in MI may increase future healthcare practitioners' confidence in their MI skills and improve their capacity to engage in individually tailored, client-driven practice.

Keywords

• Motivational interviewing
• Self-efficacy
• Health behavior change
• Interprofessional
• Pre-service education