# Identifying motivational interviewing techniques in Quitline smoking cessation counselling sessions from Queensland, Australia

## TL;DR

This study analyzed Quitline counseling sessions to identify how often motivational interviewing techniques were used in helping people quit smoking in Queensland, Australia.

## Contribution

The study provides a detailed analysis of MI technique usage in real-world smoking cessation counseling.

## Key findings

- 36 out of 38 MI techniques were used at least once across 30 Quitline sessions.
- Relational techniques were most common, while those addressing ambivalence were less used.
- Technique use varied between initial and follow-up calls, showing personalized approaches.

## Abstract

Motivational interviewing (MI) is a common approach for smoking cessation counselling, yet little is known about the use of MI techniques in practice. This qualitative content analysis applied a published classification of content and relational MI techniques to a sample of 30 Quitline transcripts (January-March 2019) from Queensland, Australia. Overall, 36 MI techniques (94.7%) were identified at least once within the total sample. On average, 20 techniques (52.6%) were used in an individual conversation with a small difference observed between initial and follow-up calls. Techniques most frequently applied across conversations were largely relational, while techniques addressing client ambivalence/resistance were less frequently/never applied. Variability in techniques between individual initial and follow-up calls highlights the high degree of personalisation when applying MI to smoking cessation. Further investigations exploring associations of individual techniques and cessation outcomes are warranted. The classification may prove useful for assessments of fidelity for training and monitoring activities.