Assisting Behaviour Change: To better understand behaviour change and the process of change(Theories and Models)

This manual has been created in order to provide ease of access to the concept of behaviour change, and to provide aide in cases in where there is a lack of information or knowledge about an issue, and this has been identified as a main barrier to the adoption of a new behaviour.

Throughout the second part of this manual we will show that complex behaviour change initiatives have to be developed at both the mass communication level, as well as at other levels such as the family and group a using interactive methods (community narratives and events, discussion and support groups, role-playing, etc.) as well as individual counselling.

Different settings and techniques (learning groups, discussion groups, support groups; role-play, simulations, psychodrama, etc.) can be adapted to facilitate the proposed objectives and to support the most diverse practice and behaviour change efforts, at various levels, and mass media campaigns, if well developed, can help to disseminate information and knowledge to large numbers of people, and to give regular “cues to action” to people and communities involved in the behaviour change process.

This is an intervention focused on the individual who encounters problems in changing behaviour because of lack of information or knowledge or low self-efficacy, relationship and communication problems with other members of his family or social group (lack of social support) or mild personal psychological difficulties related to fear, anxiety, stress, depressive symptoms etc.

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