Regret, substance abuse, and readiness to change in a dually diagnosed sample.
The transtheoretical stages of change model posits that increased readiness to change is associated with greater awareness of the negative consequences of substance use. Experiencing regrets implies a greater awareness of these consequences. Eighty dually diagnosed patients completed a 22-item Measure of Substance-Related Regret (MSR) that assessed the intensity, type, idiographic importance of, and emotions associated with regrets related to substance use and the Brief Readiness to Change Questionnaire. The MSR yielded a global measure of regret that accounted for statistically significant amounts of variance in total readiness-to-change scores (R2 = .30). Global scores also predicted precontemplation and contemplation stage scores, whereas total fear scores associated with regrets predicted action scores. Regret seems to play a complex yet important role in the decision to change substance abuse.
University of Washington, Seattle 98195, USA. awblume@u.washington.edu
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D000328:Adult; D001364:Awareness; D017831:Diagnosis, Dual (Psychiatry); D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D010555:Personality Inventory; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*