The relationship between readiness to change, decisional balance and self-efficacy among substance abuse patients.
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Date
2005
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Abstract
Substance abuse and its related risk behaviours feature among the greatest threats to
public health. Despite the advances made in interventions for addictive behaviours in the
last two decades, there continues to be a high rate of recidivism among substance abusers.
While many factors contribute to recidivist rates, an important part of treatment success is
the motivation or readiness of the patients to change their addictive behaviours.
Significant work in understanding the process of change has emerged from the health
promotion literature in the form of the transtheoretical model of change (TIM). While
the model comprises several dimensions, its core constructs centre on stages of change,
i.e., behavior change occurs through a series of stages. Individuals in treatment could
then be at various stages of change, which would enhance or limit the effects of the
treatment. An individual decision to change is also affected by an evaluation of the pros
and cons of change. The self-efficacy to change constitutes a third element for successful
change to occur. Using a cross sectional survey design, this study explored the
relationship between readiness to change, decisional-balance and self-efficacy in a
sample of 88 inpatients at a public treatment facility admitted for alcohol and other drug
use. The results showed that patients were indeed at various stages of change. Thirty-nine
percent of inpatients were not ready to change, 43% were in the preparatory stage of
change, and less than a quarter (18%) of inpatients was ready to change. Pro decisionalbalance
was an important predictor of readiness to change. Further research tailoring
treatment programmes to readiness to change among substance abuse patients is
suggested.
Description
Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2005
Keywords
Theses--Psychology.