Assessment of motivation for treatment in alcohol dependent patients who sought treatment at a specialized medical service.

INTRODUCTION

Motivation is deemed a critical component for interventions intended to change behaviors related to the use of alcohol and other drugs. The classification of patients in 'stages of change' can be a useful tool for the organization and improvement of treating programs.

METHODS

This study assessed the stages of change using the scales URICA and SOCRATES in patients who attended two different treating programs for alcohol dependence in a specialized medical service. We performed an analysis of the association between stages of change and demographic aspects. After three months of treatment, patients were reassessed to evaluate their outcome.

RESULTS

In the assessments using URICA, there was an association between stages of change and monthly income and age. There was no evidence that patients move across the stages of change. Using the scale SOCRATES, we found an association between stages of change and monthly income. In the reassessment, there was a significant movement across the stages of change.

CONCLUSION

Patients who attend two different treating programs may have different motivation profiles. There was no movement congruent with the stage of change model, suggesting that patients may need more than 3 months to obtain significant changes in their motivation.