Health-related behavior correlates in critical ways with the current epidemic of chronic diseases. Modifiable behaviors increase the risk of chronic disease. Despite there are well-identified behaviors, efforts at behavior change are clinically-challenging and frequently ineffective.

We aim to establish how the current evidence and latest neuroscientific knowledge about behavioral change allow the most reliable assessment of patients with refractory health-related behaviors that negatively impact health outcomes.

We performed a literature review using Pubmed databases and UpToDate. The search included “behavioral change” and “health-related behavioral change”[MeSH Terms].

Habitual behavior consists of behavioral patterns operating below conscious awareness and acquired through context-dependent repetition. Behavioral change is a complex multi-level field of intervention. The Health Belief Model allows a careful description of the patient’s perceived vulnerability, perceived disease severity, self-efficacy, and change motivation. The identification of social variables is critical since they correlated with poor health outcomes, particularly in chronic diseases. Temperament and character traits can have a strong influence on the difficulty of changing habitual behavior. Psychopathology, if present, must be addressed because it can be a notable factor of behavior instability and correlates negatively to health outcomes. Assertive and efficient communication skills in the clinical context are imperative. Motivational interviewing skills can allow effective behavioral change.

Interventions addressing behavior change require careful, thoughtful work that leads to a deep understanding of the nature of what motivates people. Intervention based strategies focused on behavioral change must undergo further investigation in the future.

No significant relationships.