Are depressed drinking/driving offenders more receptive to brief intervention?

The relationship between depressed mood and interest in additional counseling was examined in three samples of adjudicated first DUI (drinking/driving) offenders who were participating in a court-mandated program. Based on prior research suggesting a relationship between depressed mood, higher motivation to change drinking and drinking/driving, and greater effectiveness of additional supportive brief intervention during the program, it was hypothesized that offenders expressing a depressed mood would be more receptive and less resistant to counseling than would offenders not expressing a depressed mood. In three sub-studies using several different measures of depressed mood, depressed mood was related to higher receptivity/lower resistance to counseling. Resistance rates were lowest for counseling that would occur within the program at no additional cost and highest when counseling required extra sessions or extra cost. Overall, Caucasian males were more resistant to counseling than were females or African-American males, although a differential relationship between depression and counseling resistance was not confirmed in comparisons of gender by ethnic groups.