The stages of change model provides the theoretical framework for understanding the stages and processes of behavioral change. This model offers an explanation for how people change, with or without treatment, with important implications for changing substance abusing behavior. The stages of change model represents a series of five stages through which people pass as they change a behavior: precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, and maintenance. In this model, change is viewed as a progression from precontemplation, where there is no intention to change within the foreseeable future, to maintenance, where change in behavior is sustained for at least 6 months. The stages are not linear, and any one person may cycle several times through each stage before sustainable behavioral change occurs. This entry includes a ...