Assessing readiness for change among persons with severe mental illness

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Psychiatry
• Rehabilitation Science

Background:

• Assessing readiness for change is crucial for health behavior interventions.
• Previous research has not examined readiness for change in individuals with severe mental illness within vocational rehabilitation settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the psychometric properties of the Change Assessment Scale in individuals with severe mental illness.
• To determine the scale's ability to predict attrition and actual change in a vocational rehabilitation program.

Main Methods:

• The Change Assessment Scale was administered to individuals with severe mental illness prior to vocational rehabilitation.
• Psychometric properties including reliability and validity were analyzed.
• The scale's predictive power for attrition and change was examined.

Main Results:

• The Change Assessment Scale demonstrated good reliability and validity in this population.
• Readiness for change scores were predictive of both program attrition and subsequent behavioral changes.
• This indicates the scale's utility in this specific context.

Conclusions:

• The Change Assessment Scale is a psychometrically sound instrument for assessing readiness for change in individuals with severe mental illness.
• Readiness for change is an important factor to consider in vocational rehabilitation for this population.
• The findings support the use of this scale to tailor interventions and improve outcomes.