‘Dr. Change’ leads healthy revolution

James O. Prochaska

‘Dr. Change’ leads healthy revolution

James O. Prochaska has sometimes been called a modern day revolutionary. The University of Rhode Island Cancer Prevention Research Center director and psychology professor is now being nationally acclaimed as such by two leading organizations for his role in revolutionizing methods for substance abuse treatment and cancer prevention.

Prochaska has been named the recipient of two prestigious awards: The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s 2002 Innovators Combating Substance Abuse award, and the American Cancer Society’s 2002 Medal of Honor for his contributions in clinical research.

Considered to be one of the top five “thought leaders” in the field, Prochaska received the Innovators Combating Substance Abuse program award in October. A national program of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the award recognizes and rewards “those who have made substantial, innovative contributions of national significance in the field of substance abuse.” Each award includes a grant of $300,000, which is used to conduct a project over a period of up to three years that advances the field.

Later this year, Prochaska will be feted by the American Cancer Society with the Medal of Honor for Clinical Research. The award is the highest honor bestowed by the Society and is given annually for outstanding contributions to cancer control. Nominations by his peers nationwide cited Prochaska’s innovative research as “having produced a new level of awareness and understanding of behavioral change.” His Stages of Change Model was noted as being widely used all over the world as a platform for promoting behavior change with a wide range of populations and an array of non-healthful behaviors.

“I can think of no one else in the field of behavioral sciences who has made as great a contribution in understanding individual behavior, and who is more widely responsible for preventing the onset of cancer, than Dr. James Prochaska. His landmark Stages of Change Model is recognized around the world as among the best platforms for effectively promoting healthful behavioral change, such as smoking cessation. His work is saving lives from cancer every day,” said James Hahn, chair of the board of the American Cancer Society’s New England Division.

“We’re immensely proud of the work of Jim Prochaska. These honors only begin to tell the story of the import and impact of his life’s work,” said President Robert L. Carothers. “When they write the history of psychology in the modern era, Dr. Prochaska’s name will be at the top of the list of those who shaped how we think about change itself, especially about how we change the unhealthy behavior of large populations. Our University, the people of Rhode Island and America are very fortunate to share in and benefit from the ideas that Dr. Prochaska has conceived and the creative programs he has built with his team at the Cancer Prevention Research Center.”

On being named for the awards Prochaska said: “I’m honored by this vote of confidence and support from the leaders and members of these important organizations. The American Cancer Society and The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation share the ongoing commitment to the research, discovery, and teaching of innovative approaches to the major killers of our time.

“I am most appreciative of their understanding and support of the central relationships between behavior and health and how our programs are designed to help individuals achieve a better balance and healthier lifestyle,” he added.

Prochaska is the co-creator of the Transtheoretical Model of Change, a model that identifies stages of change and other factors that predict treatment outcomes and allows many more people to enter substance abuse treatment programs at earlier stages of readiness. Credited with changing the way medical professionals approach behavior change, he is the principal investigator of over $60 million in research grants for the prevention of cancer and other chronic diseases.

With the Innovators Award, Prochaska said he hopes to inspire the next generation of innovative thought leaders. A portion of the grant is being used to support a multidisciplinary team of students and faculty to create better prevention and intervention programs for addictive behaviors. The award will provide $2,000 to $3,000 for up to 15 undergraduate fellows for summer participation. In addition, fellows would participate in the equivalent of a junior seminar this spring semester and in independent research and readings during the 2003-2004 academic year. The grant will also be used to bring experts from around the world to campus to present colloquium and to work with the multidisciplinary team around innovation for intervening on the addictions.

By Jhodi Redlich