The effectiveness of the stages of change model for tailoring mental health support messages
Date
2020
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Delaware
Abstract
Individuals who experience mental health issues vary in their engagement in help-seeking behavior when they need it, requiring different types of supportive messages to encourage help-seeking. The Transtheoretical Model (TTM), a theory focused on processes of behavior change, acknowledges that individuals are at different stages of readiness to engage in a given behavior and will have different message needs based on their stage. This study hypothesized that individuals at different stages of change will more positively evaluate social support messages that align with their stage. Informational, emotional, instrumental, and appraisal social support messages were piloted, refined, and then evaluated by participants. Results did not indicate that participants’ stage of change was related to specific types of social support messages as predicted. Post hoc analyses show how different types of social support might be helpful to individuals with anxiety. The discussion will address the lack of results related to stages of change and implications for social support messages.
Description
Keywords
Social Support, Stages of Change, Transtheoretical Model