Table 1. Demographic Characteristics of the Study Participantsa.
| Characteristic | Training condition | |
|---|---|---|
| VSP group (n = 61) | Control group (n = 59) | |
| Age, mean (SD), y | 43.4 (10.9) | 44.4 (11.7) |
| Female sex | 39 (63.9) | 44 (74.6) |
| Race | ||
| American Indian or Alaskan Native | 0 | 0 |
| Asian | 6 (9.8) | 6 (10.2) |
| Black | 4 (6.6) | 5 (8.5) |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 0 | 1 (1.7) |
| White | 43 (70.5) | 45 (76.3) |
| Other or mixed race | 8 (13.1) | 2 (3.4) |
| Hispanic or Latino ethnicityb | 4 (6.6) | 4 (6.8) |
| Highest degree obtained | ||
| High school diploma or GED | 1 (1.6) | 2 (3.4) |
| Associate’s degree | 0 | 2 (3.4) |
| Bachelor’s degree | 8 (13.1) | 11 (18.6) |
| Master’s degree | 30 (49.2) | 25 (42.4) |
| Doctoral degree | 22 (36.1) | 19 (32.2) |
| Current job or discipline | ||
| Licensed practical nurse | 0 | 1 (1.7) |
| Registered nurse or nurse practitioner | 5 (8.2) | 8 (13.6) |
| Counselor | 2 (3.3) | 1 (1.7) |
| Mental health social worker | 15 (24.6) | 12 (20.3) |
| Psychologist | 13 (21.3) | 13 (22.0) |
| Psychiatrist | 3 (4.9) | 1 (1.7) |
| Physician, nonpsychiatrist | 5 (8.2) | 2 (3.4) |
| Medical social worker | 0 | 3 (5.1) |
| Other | 10 (16.4) | 13 (22.0) |
| Psychology or social work intern | 8 (13.1) | 5 (8.5) |
| Time providing patient care, mean (SD), y | 12.70 (9.3) | 14.56 (11.3) |
| Previous training with MI | ||
| 1 to 3-h presentation | 34 (55.7) | 29 (49.2) |
| 4 to 8-h brief training | 17 (27.9) | 9 (15.3) |
| 16- to ≥24-h workshop | 8 (13.1) | 3 (5.1) |
| Read Miller and Rollnick’s MI book1 | 6 (9.8) | 11 (18.6) |
| Read MI journal articles | 28 (45.9) | 24 (40.7) |
| Watched MI training videos | 11 (18.0) | 17 (28.8) |
| Current use of MI in practice | ||
| Not at all | 29 (47.5) | 32 (54.2) |
| Infrequently, with a targeted client | 15 (24.6) | 11 (18.6) |
| Occasionally, with some clients | 14 (23.0) | 16 (27.1) |
| Regularly, with many or all clients | 3 (4.9) | 0 |
Abbreviations: GED, General Educational Development; MI, motivational interviewing; VSP, virtual standardized patient.
a
Data are presented as number (percentage) of study participants unless otherwise indicated. The χ2 and independent sample t tests revealed no significant differences between conditions on any demographic variables.
b
Three health care professionals did not answer the ethnicity question.