Stages of Change among Chinese People with Mental Illness: A Preliminary Study

Objective: To determine the effect of self-efficacy and outcome expectancy on the readiness for rehabilitation among Chinese people with mental illness. Participants: Fifty-eight men and 62 women with chronic mental illness. Outcome Measures: Change Assessment Questionnaire for People With Severe and Persistent Mental Illness, Task-Specific Self-Efficacy Scale for People With Mental Illness, and Outcome-Expectancy Scale for People With Mental Illness. Results: Chinese people with mental illness can be meaningfully classified into 4 stages of change (SOC) groups: precontemplation, contemplation, ambivalent-conforming, and action-maintenance. SOCs are related to self-efficacy in interpersonal, symptoms management, and help-seeking skills as well as expectations about the benefit of social and coping skills. Conclusion: The SOC concept is useful for tailoring culturally sensitive psychiatric rehabilitation interventions for Chinese people with mental illness.