The effect of motivational interviewing technique intervention program based on transtheoretical model for building social resistance against disasters on individual preparedness level

Disasters have long been phenomena that individuals and societies strive to manage. Over time, various approaches have been developed in response to disasters, one of which is the community-based approach, which continues to be emphasized today. Moreover, contemporary disaster management frameworks prioritize risk management as their central focus. Within this context, fostering a disaster-resilient society has become a primary objective. In efforts to build resilience, the disaster preparedness of individuals, and consequently the society they comprise, emerges as a critical factor. This study, adopting a mixed-methods design, seeks to contribute a novel perspective and methodological approach to the field. The research was conducted in three stages. In the first stage, a valid and reliable instrument, the "Multidimensional Individual Disaster Preparedness Scale (MIDPS)" was developed to assess individual preparedness levels. In the second stage, data were collected from a representative sample using the MIDPS, and a descriptive analysis was performed. Findings indicated that the overall level of individual disaster preparedness was moderate. While mean scores for subdimensions encompassing cognitive items were found to be above average, mean scores for subdimensions related to behavioral items were below average. Based on the obtained data, a cut-off point was established using the mean total score, and participants scoring below this threshold constituted the population for the third stage of the study. The third stage involved a randomized experimental design featuring pre-test and post-test measurements with control and intervention groups. During the intervention, the motivational interviewing technique based on the Transtheoretical Model was employed. The results demonstrated that motivational interviewing significantly enhanced individual disaster preparedness, facilitated progress across stages of change, and led to a statistically significant increase in MIDPS mean scores. In light of these findings, it is recommended that field studies aimed at strengthening individual disaster preparedness be expanded.