Instruments assessing motivation for change in eating disorders and their psychometric properties – a review.

Abstract

Abstract Objective: Most patients with an eating disorder are not motivated to change their behavior. Prior research has demonstrated the prognostic value of a stages of change model in predicting outcome. Further, identifying the factors which influence an individual’s decision to change may bolster treatment effectiveness. An instrument with good reliability and validity for assessing motivation in eating disorders is necessary to correctly identify the patient’s motivational state. The aim of this paper was to review the available instruments for assessing motivation in eating disorders, and to summarize their psychometric properties.

Methods: The instruments RMI, P-CAN, DB, ANSOCQ, BNSOCQ, MSCARED, ACTA, and URICA were reviewed. Literature was found using the key words “eating disorders or anorexia nervosa” and “motivation or readiness to recover” in the electronic databases, PubMed and PsychINFO.

Results: All the instruments showed moderate to good reliability (internal consistency and/or test-retest reliability). The studies were designed to evaluate different kinds of validity, which was generally supported.

Discussion: The studies reviewed employed different methodologies, rending it difficult to directly compare the assessments. Choosing a successful measure requires specifying the goals of the assessment, type of setting and patient group, as well as practical considerations such as available resources. Future research may benefit from a cross-instrument comparison, allowing for a more direct comparison of the instruments’ performance.