VISTAS Substance Abuse

VISTAS Online is an innovative publication produced for ACA by Dr. Garry R. Walz and Dr. Jeanne C. Bleuer of Counseling Outfitters, LLC. Its purpose is to provide a means of capturing the ideas, information and experiences generated by the annual ACA Conference and selected ACA Division Conferences. Papers on a program or practice that has been validated through research or experience may also be submitted. This digital collection of peer-reviewed articles is authored by counselors, for counselors. VISTAS Online contains the full text of over 900 proprietary counseling articles published from 2004 to 2017.



Changes in College Students’ Readiness to Change Scores Following

Jane Warren, Courtney McKim, Meaghan Nolte, and Jennifer Weatherford

2013

Through use of the Stages of Change Readiness and Treatment Eagerness Scales (SOCRATES), this study measured the impact of a comprehensive substance abuse assessment in 25 clients on three measures: problem recognition, ambivalence, and taking steps. Each assessment was administered by a counselor-in-training located in a college counseling training clinic. Results from two years of data showed a significant decrease in ambivalence and problem recognition measures following the assessment experience. Research indicates that lowered ambivalence and lowered problem recognition are both related to lowered problems in use in the future. Given the extent of problems with substance abuse with college students, this type of interview may contribute to a reduction of future use. Narrative feedback indicated that the counseling relationship was a positive part of the assessment experience. Further investigations to enhance significance of the findings are discussed.

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