1 Sept 1993
Summary
The Readiness to Change Questionnaire (RCQ) is a 12-item instrument for measuring the "stage of change" reached by an excessive drinker of alcohol. It is based on the stages of change model developed by Prochaska and DiClemente (1986) which describes the stages through which a person moves in an attempt to resolve an addictive problem. From "Precontemplation" through "Contemplation" and "Action" to "Maintenance", the person is assumed to pass from one stage to the next, with the Relapser re-entering the cycle at either the Precontemplation or Contemplation stages. It may take many cycles around the stages of change before an addictive problem is finally solved.
This revised version of the User's Manual takes account of recently published data on the predictive validity of the RCQ and describes two different methods, a "Quick" and a "Refined" method, for deciding which stage of change a subject is in. Reference is also made to some as yet unpublished data relevant to the use of the RCQ in matching excessive drinkers to optimal types of brief intervention.
Date published
Resource type
NDARC reports and monographs
Author(s)
Nick Heather, Stephen Rollnick
