Table of Contents

Description

The University of Rhode Island Change Assessment Scale (URICA) – Drug Version is a psychometric tool designed to measure an individual’s readiness to change concerning substance use problems. Based on the Transtheoretical Model (TTM), the scale assesses various stages of readiness to change, including Precontemplation, Contemplation, Action, and Maintenance. Understanding where an individual stands in their readiness to change can help clinicians tailor interventions to better support their progress in overcoming substance-related challenges. This scale is particularly relevant for practitioners working with individuals seeking alcohol or drug treatment, as it provides insight into the client’s motivation and stage of readiness.

Authors and Contact Email

Information not available

Purpose

The purpose of the URICA – Drug Version is to evaluate an individual’s readiness to change their substance abuse behaviors, providing a framework to understand their motivations and identify the best approaches for treatment.

Test Year

Information not available

Administration Method and Scoring

The URICA can be administered in a self-report format. Respondents rate their agreement with a series of statements on a Likert scale ranging from 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 5 (Strongly Agree). The scoring can be used to identify which stage of change the individual is currently experiencing.

Reliability and Validity

The scale has been established as reliable with various studies validating its factors and subscales. Correlation coefficients for the different stages have been reported, indicating the reliability of the scale in different contexts.

Factors and Subscales

The URICA includes four main stages of readiness to change:
1. Precontemplation
2. Contemplation
3. Action
4. Maintenance

Keywords

Readiness to change, substance abuse, motivational assessment, psychometrics, Transtheoretical Model, URICA.

Items of University of Rhode Island Change Assessment Scale (URICA) – Drug Version

Drug Version 32 items
1. As far as I’m concerned, I don’t have any problems that need changing.
2. I think I might be ready for some self-improvement.
3. I am doing something about the problems that had been bothering me.
4. It might be worthwhile to work on my problem.
5. I’m not the problem one. It doesn’t make much sense for me to consider changing.
6. It worries me that I might slip back on a problem I have already changed, so I am looking for help.
7. I am finally doing some work on my problem.
8. I’ve been thinking that I might want to change something about myself.
9. I have been successful in working on my problem but I’m not sure I can keep up the effort on my own.
10. At times my problem is difficult, but I’m working on it.
11. Trying to change is pretty much a waste of time for me because the problem doesn’t have to do with me.
12. I’m hoping that I will be able to understand myself better.
13. I guess I have faults, but there’s nothing that I really need to change.
14. I am really working hard to change.
15. I have a problem and I really think I should work on it.
16. I’m not following through with what I had already changed as well as I had hoped, and I want to prevent a relapse of the problem.
17. Even though I’m not always successful in changing, I am at least working on my problem.
18. I thought once I had resolved the problem I would be free of it, but sometimes I still find myself struggling with it.
19. I wish I had more ideas on how to solve my problem.
20. I have started working on my problem but I would like help.
21. Maybe someone or something will be able to help me.
22. I may need a boost right now to help me maintain the changes I’ve already made.
23. I may be part of the problem, but I don’t really think I am.
24. I hope that someone will have some good advice for me.
25. Anyone can talk about changing; I’m actually doing something about it.
26. All this talk about psychology is boring. Why can’t people just forget about their problems?
27. I’m struggling to prevent myself from having a relapse of my problem.
28. It is frustrating, but I feel I might be having a recurrence of a problem I thought I had resolved.
29. I have worries but so does the next guy. Why spend time thinking about them?
30. I am actively working on my problem.
31. I would rather cope with my faults than try to change them.
32. After all I had done to try and change my problem, every now and then it comes back to haunt me.

Drug Version 24 items
1. I’m not the problem one. It doesn’t make much sense for me to consider changing.
2. I am finally doing some work on my problem.
3. I’ve been thinking that I might want to change something about myself.
4. At times my problem is difficult, but I’m working on it.
5. Trying to change is pretty much a waste of time for me because the problem doesn’t have to do with me.
6. I’m hoping that I will be able to understand myself better.
7. I guess I have faults, but there’s nothing that I really need to change.
8. I am really working hard to change.
9. I have a problem and I really think I should work on it.
10. I’m not following through with what I had already changed as well as I had hoped, and I want to prevent a relapse of the problem.
11. Even though I’m not always successful in changing, I am at least working on my problem.
12. I thought once I had resolved the problem I would be free of it, but sometimes I still find myself struggling with it.
13. I wish I had more ideas on how to solve my problem.
14. Maybe someone or something will be able to help me.
15. I may need a boost right now to help me maintain the changes I’ve already made.
16. I may be part of the problem, but I don’t really think I am.
17. I hope that someone will have some good advice for me.
18. Anyone can talk about changing; I’m actually doing something about it.
19. All this talk about psychology is boring. Why can’t people just forget about their problems?
20. I’m struggling to prevent myself from having a relapse of my problem.
21. It is frustrating, but I feel I might be having a recurrence of a problem I thought I had resolved.
22. I have worries but so does the next guy. Why spend time thinking about them?
23. I am actively working on my problem.
24. After all I had done to try and change my problem, every now and then it comes back to haunt me.

References

http://habitslab.umbc.edu/urica/
Carbonari, J.P., DiClemente, C.C., and Zweben, A. (1994, November). A readiness to change measure. Paper presented at the meeting of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, San Diego, CA.
Carney, M.M. and Kivlahan, D.R. (1995). Motivational subtypes among veterans seeking substance abuse treatment: Profiles based on stages of change. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 9, 135-142.
Belding, M.A., Iguchi, M.Y., and Lamb, R.J. (1996). Stages of change in methadone maintenance: Assessing the convergent validity of two measures. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 10, 157-166.
Rothfleisch, J. (1998). Comparison of two measures of stages of change among drug abusers. Dissertation Abstracts International: Section B: The Sciences and Engineering, 59(6-B), Dec 1998. pp. 3073.
Levesque, D.A., Gelles, R.J., & Velicer, W.F. (2000). Development and validation of a stages of change measure for men in batterer treatment. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 24(2), 175-199.
Siegal, H.A., Li L., Rapp, R.C., Saha, P. (2001). Measuring readiness for change among crack cocaine users: A descriptive analysis. Substance Use and Misuse, 36, 687-700.
Pantalon, M.V., Nich, C., Frankforter, T., and Carroll, K.M. (2002). The URICA as a measure of motivation to change among treatment-seeking individuals with concurrent alcohol and cocaine problems. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 16, 299-307.
DiClemente, C.C., Schlundt, D., & Gemmell, L. (2004). Readiness and stages of change in addiction treatment. American Journal on Addictions, 13(2), 103-119.
DiClemente, C.C. (2005). Conceptual models and applied research: The ongoing contribution of the Transtheoretical Model. Journal of Addictions Nursing, 16(1&2), 5-12.