Chapter 9.Motivational Interviewing in a Diverse Society

Researchers have studied the use of motivational interviewing (MI) in numerous clinical settings, from emergency departments, outpatient medical settings, and substance use treatment programs to inpatient medical and surgical units, dental offices, and even classrooms. Much of the research has been organized around either specific diagnostic entities, such as alcohol and opioid use disorders, or specific target behaviors, such as diet modification in individuals with diabetes or medication adherence. Comparatively little research on the effectiveness and application of MI has been organized around patient- or clientspecific factors such as nationality, culture, age, race and ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, or religious or spiritual preference or affiliation. The question remains, therefore, whether there are particular patient- or client-specific factors worth considering in the decision to employ MI, or how one might tailor an intervention based on these factors. In this chapter, we review the available literature on MI in relation to these diverse patient- or client-specific factors. On the basis of these data, we provide examples of implementation of MI in a patient- or client-specific manner, along with some additional tips for consideration with these patient or client specific-factors in mind.