Abstract
Background: Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a specific counseling approach developed from efficacy studies of behavior therapy for addictive disorders. Its potential for promoting behavioral change in various fields is empirically supported. The Motivational Interviewing Treatment Integrity (MITI) code is a well-validated measure of practitioner's adherence to and competence in MI, and is often required in efficacy trials for MI. Aim: To specify items in MITI that need particular attention for training coders in a Japanese context. Design: Six independent raters evaluated ten simulated encounters representing typical counseling settings in Japan on the basis of MITI 3.0J after 1 hour of training. Reliability was measured by obtaining intra-class correlation coefficients for each item. Results: The average inter-rater reliability coefficient was 0.72 for global ratings and 0.59 for behavior counts. Discussion: Behavior counts (especially, MI Adherence and Closed Questions) were found to be more difficult to recognize than other measures. Conclusion: Those who completed basic training in MI achieved reliable evaluations in MITI global scores and some behavior count items. Intensive training of behavior counts is recommended.
