OARS

Q: What does the acronym OARS stand for in motivational interviewing?

Answer:

Motivational interviewing is a ϲοսոѕеling style that guides a person through a patient-centered conversation to help the person consider whether there is a health-related behavior (or set of behaviors) to change, how to do it, and, most importantly, why to change. Motivational interviewing enhances intrinsic motivation to change by exploring and resolving ambivalence. 

Although this technique can be used in any medical treatment, it is mainly employed in undesirable health-damaging habits such as substance use disorders. It revolves around four principles:

O = Open questions that encourage further elaboration and consideration

A = Affirmations of positive thoughts, actions, or ideas of the patient that foster positive feelings in the consultation

R= Reflections that indicate that the clinician has heard and accurately understood the patient

S = Summaries that extend the essential reflections to include a sense of momentum or build interest in changing direction

#psychiatry

References:

1. Miller WR, Rollnick S. Motivational Interviewing: Preparing People to Change, 2nd ed., Guilford Press, New York 2002.

2. Smedslund G, Berg RC, Hammerstrøm KT, et al. Motivational interviewing for substance abuse. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2011; :CD008063.

3. Bischof G, Bischof A, Rumpf HJ. Motivational Interviewing: An Evidence-Based Approach for Use in Medical Practice. Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2021 Feb 19;118(7):109-115. doi: 10.3238/arztebl.m2021.0014. PMID: 33835006; PMCID: PMC8200683.