Motivational interviewing as a supplementary therapy for cannabis use disorder

Abstract

Treatment of cannabis use disorder among the youth is a challenging task. Pharmacological treatment combined with other forms of therapies give better result during the course of time. The number of self-motivated adolescents seeking treatment is less. Most of the time they get admitted due to compulsion from parents, teachers, or family members. Even though they receive a systematic treatment in the hospital, the greatest concern of health care professionals and family members is to boost up the motivation to maintain abstinence. After getting discharged from an institutional setting, there is every possibility for the patient to restart using cannabis. This can be prevented only by the self- motivation, as internal motivation can function as a strong force to work towards the achievement of certain goals and to maintain a particular behaviour. Motivational interviewing is a systematically planned therapeutic measure can maintain this internal motivation to a greater extent.