Development of readiness to change and self-efficacy in anorexia nervosa clients: personal perspectives

Objective: Anorexia nervosa is a significant cause of physical and
psychological morbidity. The Transtheoretical Model (TTM) is
frequently used to conceptualise the process of intentional
behaviour change. Instability and inconsistency of the TTM stages
of change exist across anorexia symptom dimensions. The current
study qualitatively explored readiness for change and self-efficacy
in relation to six related but distinct anorexic symptom
dimensions. Method: Fifteen individuals currently diagnosed with
or recently recovered from anorexia participated in a semistructured
interview. Findings: Participants in the central stages of
the TTM reported variability and instability in their readiness to
change and self-efficacy across the six dimensions. Participants
were most prepared to address cognitive/emotional issues and
least prepared to alter their weight and avoidance of specific
foods. Discussion: These findings extend previous quantitative
research to suggest readiness for change and self-efficacy
resemble motivational states rather than stages. The implications
for clinicians are discussed.