Motivating patients with comorbid mental and physical health conditions to change their behaviours is crucial across all health professions to address the growing burden of chronic conditions.  

But often health professionals lack the skills and confidence to use counselling interventions to motivate and support patients’ behaviour change and mobilise the patient’s own resources and self-efficacy for change to address their own long-term needs. 

Director of Flinders University’s Human Behaviour and Health Research Unit, Professor Sharon Lawn and lead researcher Dr Candice Oster, along with a multidisciplinary team of experts across the motivational, educational and virtual space, will use a Health Seed Grant from Breakthrough Mental Health Research Foundation to develop and pilot test a new motivational interviewing virtual training tool. 

This new software will provide health professionals with an accessible and cost-effective training resource to help develop and maintain their motivational interviewing skills.

Project Lead: Professor Sharon Lawn

Project Title: Supporting workforce practice change: A pilot study of a motivational Interviewing virtual-patient software tool for health professionals

This research is made possible thanks to generous donations from the community, fundraisers and corporate partners.

To find out how you can help fund ground-breaking mental health research contact us