Motivational predictors of readiness to change chronic substance abuse

In order to study the motivational context in which chronic substance abusers are ready to change, participants were administered a readiness to change and a motivational-structure questionnaire. The latter identifies respondents' salient concerns in various life areas, and the characteristic manner in which they strive for goals to resolve their concerns (i.e., their motivational structure). Separate factor analyses of the two questionnaires revealed (a) two readiness-for-change factors (determination to change and problem denial), and (b) two motivational-structure factors (an adaptive and a maladaptive one). Respondents with high scores on the adaptive factor felt committed to goal pursuits from which they expected to derive emotional satisfaction, and they felt optimistic about succeeding. The adaptive factor was a significant positive predictor of determination to change and a significant negative predictor of problem denial.