Motivation for change may be important in developing treatment approaches and predicting outcomes for DWI offenders This study utilized a measure of stages of change with drinking and driving as the problem considered by the DWI offenders. The measure of stages of change has four subscales: (1) precontemplation, an inability to recognize the problem; (2) contemplation, awareness and decision-making about the problem; (3) action, increase in coping and change related to the problem; and (4) maintenance, efforts to continue and maintain changes. A 32-item scale was used to assess these dimensions of change in a sample of 656 DWI offenders. The assessment also included drinking, DWI history, driving attitudes, DWI attitudes, alcohol dependence, treatment history, and personality. Variables significantly related to the stages of change groups included severity of alcohol dependence, attitudes about DWI, locus of control, self-esteem, treatment history, psychiatric problems, and expectations regarding the costs and benefits of treatment. These findings suggest that stages of change measures would be useful to clinicians who treat DWI offenders, and could lead to improved treatment strategies. (A)
Abstract