The efficacy of incorporating motivational interviewing to cognitive behavior therapy for anxiety disorders: A review and meta-analysis

Motivational Interviewing (MI) has been suggested as an adjunct to Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) for anxiety disorders. Although preliminary evidence suggests that MI as a prelude to CBT (MI + CBT) improves various aspects of treatment from initial engagement, overall symptom reduction, and treatment drop out rate, results are inconsistent. The current meta-analysis combined the findings of 12 trials examining the efficacy of MI + CBT in comparison to CBT alone. Across studies, MI + CBT outperformed standard CBT in terms of overall anxiety symptom reduction, Hedges g = 0.59. Drop out rates were not significantly different between groups. Moderator analyses revealed no significant differences based on specific anxiety diagnosis or dose of MI. The findings of this meta-analysis suggest that MI as an adjunct to CBT for anxiety disorders improves treatment outcome, in comparison to CBT alone. Limitations of the study and future research directions are explored.