Neuroscience-Informed Psychoeducation for Recovery (NIPER): 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.