The transtheoretical model and substance dependence: theoretical and practical aspects
Fabiana Andrioni De Biaze Vilela,1 Flávia Serebrenic Jungerman,2 Ronaldo Laranjeira,1 Russel Callaghan3
The past two decades have been marked by numerous studies on intentional behavior change, especially concerning addictive behaviors. Some of those studies1,2 have attempted to outline the behavior change process. One such study was conducted by Prochaska and DiClemente,3 who proposed the Transtheoretical Model (TTM), which is known worldwide as the stages-ofchange model and commonly adopted as a guideline for clinical interventions for a wide range of health problems, such as substance use disorders.4 The authors stated that the development of their theory was related to the need for coherent organization of the processes of intentional behavior change. The theory is based on experimental data obtained through surveys completed by individuals with nicotine dependence who achieved smoking cessation without enrolling in treatment.3,5 This model emphasize the importance of a wider view of the individual, which allows a more accurate evaluation of patient condition, in comparison with the historic conception that success or failure in changing the addictive behavior is a function of denial.
