Abstract: :: Interventions with alcohol dependants are based on an array of motivational techniques that bring them to action phase, help them to give up alcohol and then maintain abstinence. Hence motivation as a concept and its role in different stages of an intervention program for alcohol dependents has to be understood by the mental health professionals working with them. More importantly, their perception of those motivational factors that are most effective to help them in abstinence has to be studied. This study is an attempt to focus on this aspect through the use of a series of focus group discussions with 25 inpatients in the de- addiction centre at NIMHANS, Bangalore. The findings suggest that the motivational factors for different persons depend on their family experience, peer group influence, occupation, environment, life events, their personality, and health seeking behavior. The motivational factors for each person differed and the degree to which such factors gave them an impetus to give up alcohol and maintain abstinence also varied. In open-ended questions some of the factors reported to influence (motivate) the decision to abstain were related to improving health, strained family relationships and in view of the high expenditure incurred on the substance. A model emerged out, of how feeling and acting aspects of motivation with timing and persistence may lead to successful abstinence from alcohol. Feedback of such findings gave new insights to the alcohol dependants who are in treatment at the centre.

*Smita Bammidi.