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Original Research | Psychology | Volume 15 Issue 7, July 2026 | Pages: 1940 - 1944 | India
Does Age Matter? Age-Related Variation in Treatment Response Following Motivational Interviewing among Recreational Substance Use
Abstract: Background: Young adulthood is a developmental period characterized by increased experimentation and vulnerability to recreational substance use. Although Motivational Interviewing (MI) is an evidence-based intervention for reducing substance-related risk behaviours, limited research has examined whether its effectiveness differs across developmental stages within young adulthood. The present study investigated age-related differences in response to MI among recreational substance users. Methods: A quantitative pre-test-post-test comparative study was conducted among recreational substance users who received MI as part of a randomized intervention study. Forty-seven participants who completed the intervention and four-week follow-up assessment were included and categorized into two age groups: 18-22 years (n = 24) and 23-26 years (n = 23). Substance-related risk was assessed using the NIDA-modified Alcohol, Smoking, and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST) at baseline and four weeks following the intervention. Within-group changes were analysed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test, while changes in ASSIST scores between age groups were compared using the Mann-Whitney U test. Results: Significant reductions in NIDA-modified ASSIST scores were observed following Motivational Interviewing among participants aged 18-22 years (Z = -3.90, p < .001) and 23-26 years (Z = -3.10, p = .002), indicating that MI was associated with significant reductions in substance-related risk in both age groups. Participants aged 18-22 years demonstrated a greater mean change in ASSIST scores (mean change = 1.17) than participants aged 23-26 years (mean change = 0.83). However, the difference in change scores between the two age groups was not statistically significant (U = 330.00, p = .227), suggesting that age did not significantly influence treatment response following Motivational Interviewing. Conclusion: MI was associated with significant reductions in substance-related risk among recreational substance users across both age groups. Although younger participants demonstrated greater numerical improvement, age-related differences in treatment response were not statistically significant. These findings support the use of MI as an effective early intervention for young adults while highlighting the need for larger studies to clarify the influence of age on treatment outcomes.
Keywords: Motivational Interviewing, recreational substance use, young adults, age differences, treatment response, NIDA-modified ASSIST, early intervention
How to Cite?: Stella Yangzee Sherpa, Rita Rani Talukdar, "Does Age Matter? Age-Related Variation in Treatment Response Following Motivational Interviewing among Recreational Substance Use", Volume 15 Issue 7, July 2026, International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), Pages: 1940-1944, https://www.ijsr.net/getabstract.php?paperid=SR26706203843, DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.21275/SR26706203843