| CLIENT RESPONSE |
STAGE OF CHANGE |
HOW TO HELP CLIENT |
| "I'm not thinking about quitting in the next 6 months."
|
PRECONTEMPLATION
(unaware or unwilling to change)
GOAL: To help the client think seriously about quitting.
|
- ASK, regarding feelings about smoking.
- ASK about pros and possible cons of smoking.
- ADVISE by offering quitting information and assistance at any time.
|
"I'm thinking about quitting in the next 6 months."
|
CONTEMPLATION
(ambivalent, but thinking about quitting within 6 months)
GOAL: To help the smoker move towards a decision to stop smoking and to help them feel more confident.
|
- ASK about the pros and cons of both continuing to smoke and quitting (decisional balance).
- Acknowledge ambivalent feelings.
- ASSIST by reinforcing their reasons for change, and exploring new ones.
- Suggest they cut back or stop for a day.
- ASSIST by offering a future visit and information.
|
"I'm planning to quit in the next month."
|
PREPARATION
(getting ready to stop within the next 30 days, have set stop smoking date, have made a 24 hour quit attempt in last 12 months)
GOAL: To help smoker prepare for and anticipate positively a quit date. |
- ASK about concerns, preparations, and lessons learned from previous attempts.
- ADVISE by identifying barriers to stopping and elicit solutions.
- ASSIST by providing booklets, resources to develop action plan, information on Nicotine Replacement Therapy(NRT), and setting a firm quit date.
|
"I quit in the last 6 months."
|
ACTION
(have quit smoking within the past 6 months and are actively applying cessation skills)
GOAL: To help client stay off tobacco products and recover from relapses. |
- ASK how the client is doing: relapses, temptations, successes, NRT use.
- ADVISE re: relapse prevention, weight gain, triggers.
- ASSIST by focusing on successes, encourage self-rewards and increase support, elicit solutions for problems.
|
"I quit more than 6 months ago."
|
MAINTENANCE
(quit for more than 6 months and are integrating smoke-free living into their routine)
GOAL: To help clients remain smoke-free for a lifetime. |
- ASK how the client is doing: risk situations, relapses.
- ASSIST by offering suggestions for difficult times, support, encouragement.
- Congratulate!
|
|
RELAPSE
(a normal event in the process of making behavioural change) |
- Most smokers will cycle through the stages 3 to 4 times before quitting for life. Each attempt offers new opportunities to learn new skills and new techniques that will help them in their next attempt.
|
