title: The stages of change: when are trauma patients truly ready to change?
abstract: This article summarizes the Stages of Change model, which identifies five stages that people experience as they gradually move away from engaging in harmful behaviors to sustaining healthy behaviors. Patients in different stages of change need different kinds of interventions. The Stages of Change model enhances brief counseling interventions for trauma patients with substance use problems because counselors can now accurately choose an appropriate intervention strategy. The authors present three case studies illustrating the three earliest stages of change most commonly encountered in trauma center patients.
authors.affiliation: University of Washington, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Seattle, WA 98104-2499, USA. cdunn@u.washington.edu
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dunn
authors.forename: Daniel W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Hungerford
authors.forename: Craig
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Field
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: McCann
mesh_terms: D003657:Decision Making; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009042:Motivation; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*