A Simple Tip to Improve Your Conversations with Vaccine-Hesitant Parents
By Carrie Bader, MPH, MOT, Boost Oregon’s Training Director and Member of Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT)
When speaking with a person declining to vaccinate their children, it can be easy to slip into judgment. We may label them as irresponsible, reckless, or careless. Even if we keep these labels to ourselves, the person often picks up on our judgment. And how do people react to being judged? With defensiveness, disengagement, and distrust. This does not lead to a fruitful conversation!
What can we do instead? A first step is to reframe how we see them. Even if we don’t agree with someone’s actions, can we see positive intentions and strengths behind those actions? Given the example of the vaccine-hesitant parent, here are some likely truths:
They want their children to be healthy
They’ve thought about this decision a lot
They really want to make the right choice
We can also look at positive intentions and strengths beyond the vaccine decision. For example:
They’ve been consistent about bringing their children in for check-ups
They have followed through on other recommendations and/or treatment plans
They have a lot of thoughtful questions
The next step is to speak one of these thoughts out loud during the conversation when the opportunity arises. For example:
“You really want your children to be healthy.”
“You’ve been on top of these regular check-ups.”
“I can see how you’ve been putting a lot of thought into this.”
These are examples of affirmations, a core skill in motivational interviewing (MI). MI is an evidence-based approach to support effective vaccine conversations, and effective affirmations are a powerful component of this approach. Studies have found that genuine affirmations can reduce defensiveness and increase openness to new information.
In health care, we are often trained to look for problems or deficits, so affirming may not come naturally. With practice, though, we can develop a mindset where we can actively look for what is positive and admirable. Doing so will lead to conversations that are not only more effective, but more enjoyable!
If you’d like to learn more about the use of affirmations in helping conversations, we have a free webinar coming up on this topic:
Registration: The Role (and Importance of) Affirmations in Helping Conversations
References:
Epton, T., Harris, P. R., Kane, R., Van Koningsbruggen, G. M., & Sheeran, P. (2015). The impact of self-affirmation on health-behavior change: A meta-analysis. Health Psychology, 34(3), 187–196. https://doi.org/10.1037/hea0000116
Miller, W. R., & Rollnick, S. (2023). Motivational interviewing: Helping people change and grow (Fourth edition). The Guilford Press.