Factor structure of the SOCRATES in a sample of primary care patients

Motivation or readiness to change has been studied intensively in recent ye ars in research on the use of brief interventions to change alcohol problem s in the primary care setting. The purpose of this study was to investigate the factor structure and concurrent and predictive evidence for validity o f the short Stages of Change Readiness and Treatment Eagerness Scale (SOCRA TES), a 19-item self-report instrument developed to measure readiness to ch ange alcohol problems in individuals presenting for specialized alcohol tre atment. The participants were 210 men and 91 women who were identified as " at-risk" drinkers in 13 community primary care clinics. These individuals c ompleted the SOCRATES and a number of other assessments as part of a preint ervention evaluation. A principal components analysis of the SOCRATES data revealed a two-factor structure; a confirmatory factor analysis showed that this structure was a better fit to the data than the three-factor structur e that Miller and Tonigan (1996) identified for the SOCRATES. The two facto rs (9 and 6 items, respectively), seemed to measure perceived degree of sev erity of an existing alcohol problem (caned "Amrec" because it consisted of Miller and Tonigan's ambivalence and recognition items) and taking action to change or to maintain changes in one that exists (called "Taking Steps") . Predictions of significant and nonsignificant correlations between the tw o derived factors and other baseline variables (alcohol consumption, relate d problems and symptoms; and demographic factors) generally were confirmed. In addition, baseline Amrec scores were related in predicted directions to 6-month alcohol consumption and related problems data, but the magnitude o f these relationships were reduced when other variables that correlated wit h Amrec or when the 6-month data were taken into account. In general, Takin g Steps showed little or no relationship to the 6-month data. The results a re compared to previous work with the SOCRATES and suggestions for future r esearch are discussed. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd.