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.