Readiness for change: Variation by intensity and domain of client distress

Abstract

Comprehensive clinical assessment includes an evaluation of a client's readiness for change. The level of readiness to work on personal problems has been operationalized as the Stages of Change Scale (SOCS). Given the variation in how clients rate the severity of their presenting problems, as well as the diverse nature of their difficulties, it seems plausible that the intensity of problem self-ratings would vary with readiness for change. This article examines the relationship between cluster profiles derived from the SOCS and problem severity scores based on three subscales of the South Shore Problem Inventory-Revised (SSPI-R) for 299 newly admitted outpatient mental health clients. Factor structure was replicated for both the SOCS and the SSPI-R, and cluster profiles derived from the SOCS replicated previous findings. Results indicate that problem severity does vary by stage-of-change cluster profiles for psychophysiological difficulties and problems related to family pathology, but not for community- or health-related problems. Implications for social work practice are addressed.