Stage of Change Counselling.

Diabetes management requires several deliberate behaviours of significant complexity that must be maintained by an individual within the context of peer and social pressures, domestic and economic responsibilities and distracting life events. In chronic diseases, compliance with treatment regimens is poor. There is now a movement away from the authoritarian concept of compliance to one of adherence, involving greater self-determination. Change counselling is defined by its philosophy of empowerment, the desired outcome of the best quality of life and its methods, drawn from the behavioural sciences. Theoretical and practical components are assembled into a sequence of steps, according to the way people might make changes in their lives. Change counselling entails identifying the person's stage of change then providing the most relevant form of help. The underlying theory and empirical support for this approach is described, followed by a description of the process. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]