What is the first stage of the Transtheoretical Model (TTM)?

The first stage of the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) is pre-contemplation. In this stage, individuals are not yet considering change and may be unaware of the need to change their behavior. They often underestimate the benefits of changing or overestimate the costs associated with change. It is crucial for healthcare and wellness professionals to understand that people in this stage require different types of interventions than those in later stages.

In the pre-contemplation stage, the focus is typically on raising awareness about the issues at hand, helping individuals recognize their current behavior, and understanding the potential consequences of maintaining the status quo. Moving individuals through this stage involves developing strategies that increase their readiness to contemplate change, such as providing information, discussing the benefits of a new behavior, or exploring their feelings about the behavior they engage in.

The other stages mentioned—contemplation, preparation, and action—occur sequentially after pre-contemplation, indicating that an individual has made some degree of acknowledgment toward change, is planning for it, and is actively working on making the change, respectively.