Efficacy of a neuroscience informed psychoeducation intervention on cognitive, emotional, and substance use outcomes in college students: a pilot study.

Abstract

Introduction: Despite revolutionary advances in understanding the neurobiology of substance use, these insights have not been translated into effective prevention or intervention programs. To address this gap, we developed Neuroscience-Informed Psychoeducation for Addiction (NIPA), a mobile app designed to enhance metacognitive awareness, increase cognitive resilience, and promote neurocognitive skills for stress coping and substance misuse prevention. NIPA targets key cognitive functions-attention, memory, cognitive flexibility, and decision-making -by integrating neuroscience-based psychoeducation with gamified neurocognitive tasks and metacognitive training to enhance engagement and real-life application.

Objective: In this study, we aimed to examine whether using a neuroscience-based approach could change young adults' attitudes and intentions to use drugs and alcohol, and improve their executive functions, emotional health, and decision-making.

Method: Sixty-eight undergraduates from a large urban public university participated in this pilot study. Eligibility criteria included: age ≥18, prior alcohol/tobacco/cannabis/other drug use, and ability to download and complete the app. Prior to the intervention, participants completed self-report cognitive, emotional, and substance use questionnaires; these were repeated after completing four 20-minute-long NIPA sessions. NIPA incorporates metacognitive training and game-based neurocognitive tasks delivered through cartoons, animations, and videos to increase awareness about the effects of drugs and alcohol on brain and cognition. Pre-post intervention changes were analyzed using Wilcoxon signed-rank and binomial tests.

Results: Findings reveal significant reductions from pre- to post-intervention assessment in self-reported deficits in executive function (Z=-7.11; p<0.001) and emotional distress including depression (Z=-2.58; p=0.010) and anxiety (Z=-2.49; p=0.013), and an increase in metacognitive awareness (Z=-3.07; p=0.002). Additionally, assessment of decision-making revealed reduced delay discounting of large magnitude rewards (Z=-2.11; p=0.035) and increased probability discounting of small probabilities (Z=-3.177; p=0.001), indicating increased sensitivity to uncertainty. Finally, participants reported significantly lower intentions to use and lower actual use of nicotine and cannabis, and lower binge drinking from pre- to post-intervention assessment.

Conclusion: These preliminary results support the potential of NIPA as an effective tool for increasing metacognitive awareness and enhancing cognitive resilience against stress and uncertainty. Future studies with larger samples, including a control group and follow-up assessments, are required to support these findings and assess the long-term effects of the intervention.