Understanding models of health behaviours and the processes used to facilitate change

The syllabus to address carers’ needs is similar to that required for any health professional working in the area of eating disorders. There are direct parallels between managing anorexia nervosa on an inpatient unit and what happens at home. Both professional and non-professional carers alike need to be armed with knowledge about the illness and skills that help rather then hinder change. Models of health behaviour change can be helpful in structuring knowledge about behaviour change and motivation. One of the many processes used to facilitate change is motivational interviewing. We discuss these in this chapter as well as some of the concepts and mechanisms that explain human drives and motivation.