Neuroscience-Informed Psychoeducation for Recovery: A Program to Promote Metacognition in People With Substance Use Disorders

Abstract

Background: A brief neuroscience-informed psychoeducation program (neuroscience-informed psychoeducation for recovery, NIPER) was developed to promote awareness (metacognition) in the main cognitive domains affected by drug and alcohol use to increase willingness to invest time and effort in the brain and cognition recovery process. The primary aim of this pilot study was to determine the feasibility and acceptability of the NIPER program and its potential effectiveness in terms of increasing metacognition, psychological wellbeing and willingness for the brain and cognition recovery programs among patients with substance use disorders (SUDs). Methodology: 56 patients with SUDs recruited from four outpatient treatment centres in Tehran, Iran and attended four 90-min sessions delivered weekly adjunct to their treatment as usual. The effectiveness was measured in terms of metacognition, and psychological wellbeing at baseline and at the end of the program. Rate of adherence and participation as well as willingness to continue with brain and cognition recovery programs were measured as feasibility outcomes. Results: A total of 51 participants completed the study. Compared to the baseline assessments, patients reported significantly higher problems in dimensions of attention, memory, inhibitory control, decision making, motor/speech, interocpetion and insight, as well as higher level of psychological wellbeing (t=4.66. p<0.001). In terms of feasibility outcomes, the adherence and participation rates were found above 85%. The majority of participants expressed their high willingness to continue the brain and cognition recovery programs (86.2%) and introduce NIPER to their peers (98%). Conclusion: Taking into account the pilot results in terms of feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of NIPER in clinical context of addiction treatment, we consider NIPER as a potentially beneficial interventions to be offered to people with SUD to increase their awareness and engage them to the brain and cognition recovery process. The clinical efficacy of the intervention should be tested in future randomized clinical trials.

Are we just talking in circles? Impact of psychoeducation on disease knowledge and relapse in severe alcohol use disorder

“…On the one hand, preliminary studies have suggested that psychoeducation might be useful to reduce alcohol consumption in subclinical samples (e.g., Gilder et al., 2017), to lower the impact of psychopathological comorbidities on alcohol use (e.g., post‐traumatic stress disorder; Bujarski, 2015) and to facilitate abstinence in the longer run (e.g., after more than 6 months postdetoxification; Kayaoğlu & Şahin Altun, 2022). Moreover, psychoeducation might be useful to improve major clinical variables (e.g., therapeutic alliance, insight, self‐evaluation, metacognition, e.g., Rezapour et al., 2021), to increase patients' awareness that their consumption is problematic, or to prepare patients to take an active part in the therapeutic program (e.g., neuroscience‐informed psychoeducation, Ekhtiari et al., 2017). On the other hand, however, it does not constitute by itself a powerful tool to promote long‐term abstinence.…”

“…and to facilitate abstinence in the longer run (e.g., after more than 6 months postdetoxification;Kayaoğlu & Şahin Altun, 2022). Moreover, psychoeducation might be useful to improve major clinical variables (e.g., therapeutic alliance, insight, self-evaluation, metacognition, e.g.,Rezapour et al, 2021), to increase patients' awareness that their consumption is problematic, or to prepare patients to take an active part in the therapeutic program (e.g., neuroscience-informed psychoeducation,Ekhtiari et al, 2017). On the other hand, however, it does not constitute by itself a powerful tool to promote long-term abstinence.…”

Multi‐family therapy for adult outpatients with obsessive‐compulsive disorder and their family members, targeting family accommodation

“…It further increases their motivation to experiment with the offered exercises (e.g. conjoint ERP and reducing FA) later on in the session and to do the homework task (Abramowitz et al, 2012; Baldisserotto et al, 2021; Grunes et al, 2001; Rezapour et al, 2021; Thompson‐Hollands et al, 2015). Since it was offered in an interactional setting (‘in exchange for the experiences of the patients and family members’), it offered the group members the opportunity to reflect on ‘their way’ of living with OCD, to learn from other's experiences and to find new ways of relating to other patients and family members.…”