Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIM: Alcohol consumption is a major public health issue, linked to a wide range of physical, psychological, familial, and social harms, as well as increased rates of violence, accidents, and mortality. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a motivational interviewing program in reducing alcohol consumption patterns among Thai patients. METHODS: This quasi-experimental study included a control group (CG) and an experimental group (EG), each consisting of 30 patients. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analyzed with SPSS, utilizing both descriptive and inferential statistical methods. RESULTS: The majority of patients in the CG were aged 45-60 years, whereas the majority in the EG were aged 25-44 years. The intervention involved 4 sessions over 8 weeks motivational interviewing program (MIP). The mean AUDIT scores in the CG were 24.10 before the intervention and 22.90 after, while in the EG, scores decreased from 22.63 to 19.33. The interaction between the factors (CG and EG) before the intervention did not have a significant effect (Multivariate Analysis of Variance, MANOVA: p = 0.255), but was significant after the intervention (MANOVA: p = 0.009). CONCLUSION: MIP had a significant effect on reducing alcohol consumption among patients of the EG.