Psychotherapy is an effective form of treatment, yet difficulties with engagement and dropout continue to plague the field. Poor outcomes are more likely to be achieved by poorly motivated clients and those who are mandated to attend therapy (Prochaska, DiClemente, & Norcross, 1992). This study examined links between motivation to change, initial levels of distress, referral source, and pressure to attend therapy in a sample of 587 individuals who attended therapy at a university-based counseling center in the Northeast. Results indicated a relationship between distress and motivation to change as well as a link between the perceived pressure felt by a client and motivation to change.
","abstract_html":"<p> <p>Psychotherapy is an effective form of treatment, yet difficulties with engagement and dropout continue to plague the field. Poor outcomes are more likely to be achieved by poorly motivated clients and those who are mandated to attend therapy (Prochaska, DiClemente, & Norcross, 1992). This study examined links between motivation to change, initial levels of distress, referral source, and pressure to attend therapy in a sample of 587 individuals who attended therapy at a university-based counseling center in the Northeast. Results indicated a relationship between distress and motivation to change as well as a link between the perceived pressure felt by a client and motivation to change.</p> </p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Moore, Lyn E"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Arts","degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":"Human Development and Family Studies","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Stephen Anderson, Ph.D.; Shayne Anderson, Ph.D.","Rachel Tambling, Ph.D."],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2011,"date_issued":"2011-04-29T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2011-04-29T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T06:31:35Z","subjects":["motivation to change","stages of change","pressure","therapy","treatment factors"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://digitalcommons.lib.uconn.edu/gs_theses/30","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Stephen Anderson, Ph.D.; Shayne Anderson, Ph.D.","Rachel Tambling, Ph.D."]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Moore, Lyn E"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2011-04-29T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Human Development and Family Studies"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Arts"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["motivation to change","stages of change","pressure","therapy","treatment factors"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://digitalcommons.lib.uconn.edu/gs_theses/30"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["
Psychotherapy is an effective form of treatment, yet difficulties with engagement and dropout continue to plague the field. Poor outcomes are more likely to be achieved by poorly motivated clients and those who are mandated to attend therapy (Prochaska, DiClemente, & Norcross, 1992). This study examined links between motivation to change, initial levels of distress, referral source, and pressure to attend therapy in a sample of 587 individuals who attended therapy at a university-based counseling center in the Northeast. Results indicated a relationship between distress and motivation to change as well as a link between the perceived pressure felt by a client and motivation to change.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Effect of Distress, Referral Source, and Pressure to Attend Therapy on Motivation to Change"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Stephen Anderson, Ph.D.; Shayne Anderson, Ph.D.","Rachel Tambling, Ph.D."],"dc:creator":["Moore, Lyn E"],"dc:date.available":["2011-04-29T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["
Psychotherapy is an effective form of treatment, yet difficulties with engagement and dropout continue to plague the field. Poor outcomes are more likely to be achieved by poorly motivated clients and those who are mandated to attend therapy (Prochaska, DiClemente, & Norcross, 1992). This study examined links between motivation to change, initial levels of distress, referral source, and pressure to attend therapy in a sample of 587 individuals who attended therapy at a university-based counseling center in the Northeast. Results indicated a relationship between distress and motivation to change as well as a link between the perceived pressure felt by a client and motivation to change.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://digitalcommons.lib.uconn.edu/gs_theses/30"],"dc:subject":["motivation to change","stages of change","pressure","therapy","treatment factors"],"dc:title":["Effect of Distress, Referral Source, and Pressure to Attend Therapy on Motivation to Change"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Human Development and Family Studies"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Arts"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T06:31:35Z"}