Action4
Build on what already works
Solution-focused work: identify strengths, resources and times things go well, and do more of them.
| Topic | Evidence | Potential benefit |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | ||
| Motivation | est. |
How sure is this?
- Goals
Spotting what already goes well for you and doing more of it may help you get a little more done.
- A meta-analysis without both a risk-of-bias check and a publication-bias test.
Benefit size from A short motivational talk at a clinic may help people stop cocaine and heroin, against people who got only a handout.
- Motivation
It's too early to say whether spotting what already goes well for you and doing more of it helps with motivation.
- Well-controlled studies, but only together with other tools.
- One star off: only no-treatment comparisons with self-reported outcomes.
- One star off: every study behind it has a serious concern.
Benefit size from A task about yourself before health messages gave small gains in intentions and actions, against people who did not do the task.
What 6 studies found
- HelpedTestedAcross two studies, strengths programmes raised self-belief more than usual care did.
Whole programmes were tested, so no single part can be credited
Mixes trials with other kinds of study
Review
- HelpedTestedAcross 14 studies, people who did the task intended to change a little more than those who did not.
Signs that small negative studies went unpublished
Review
- HelpedTestedAcross 12 studies, people who did the task changed their health behaviour a little more than those who did not.
Signs that small negative studies went unpublished
Review
- HelpedTestedAfter twelve weekly group sessions, college teachers had less burnout than teachers who got nothing.
Paper
- HelpedTested
Paper
- No comparisonUsed
Paper
- HelpedTested
Paper
- HelpedTested
Paper
- No differenceTested
Paper
- HelpedTested
Paper
- No differenceTested
Paper
Often used with it
Rule · with whom5
With a coach or therapist
Guided by a coach, therapist or trained helper.
Rule · with whom6
Practise with a group
Group sessions or group practice.
Action5
Set a specific goal
Choose a concrete goal or target to reach.
Action6
Talk through your mixed feelings about changing
Motivational-interviewing style: explore ambivalence and draw out your own reasons to change.
