An Emergency Department Brief Intervention to Reduce Youth Violence

Investigators evaluated the efficacy of a brief emergency department (ED) intervention to reduce future violence among patients 14 to 20 years of age living in Flint, Michigan, who presented to a single ED. Research therapists conducted a brief (about 30 minutes) individualized ED intervention using motivational interviewing and cognitive behavioral techniques aimed at reducing at-risk behaviors. Control patients from a sociodemographically matched neighborhood received a standard community resource brochure without the intervention. Participants completed self-administered surveys on victimization, aggression, and self-efficacy at baseline and at 2-month follow-up.

Of 409 patients (mean age, 18 years) enrolled over 3.5 years, 263 received t…