Enhancing Addiction Treatment Through Psychoeducation
Recruiting now · Not applicable
Conditions studied: Substance Use Disorders
In brief
Addiction is a brain disorder characterized by a broad range of both apparent and subtle cognitive impairments in attention, memory, executive functions, and decision-making. These cognitive problems are clinically significant and may contribute to poor treatment outcomes in people with Substance Use Disorders (SUDs), such as a high risk of dropout, low treatment compliance, and shorter periods of abstinence. Studies on cognitive function in SUDs reveal that chronic use of drugs and alcohol can also negatively affect another crucial component of cognition: awareness, or metacognition. Metacognition is defined as an individual's ability to perceive and understand their cognitive functions and use this understanding to regulate them. One of the key consequences of metacognitive impairments is the lack of insight in people with SUDs, which adversely affects treatment outcomes. Substance users with poor metacognition are more reluctant to initiate or continue treatment and are more likely to deny their cognitive problems. Therefore, improving metacognition may remove or reduce motivational barriers to invest time and effort in the recovery process in general, and in the brain recovery process specifically. Despite the importance of neurocognition and metacognition in the recovery process for substance users, there is a dearth of interventions designed to target these functions.
Key facts
- Study ID
- NCT07178158
- Run by
- Virginia Commonwealth University
- People needed
- 40
- Starts
- 2026-07-23
- Expected to finish
- 2027-04-30
- Last updated by the study team
- 2026-08-07
Who can join
Age: 18 and older, up to 65. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.
You may qualify if…
- current DSM-5 opioid and/or stimulant use disorder
- currently on medication treatment for SUD
- owning a smartphone with sufficient functionality to download and utilize the NIPA app.
You may not qualify if…
- current psychosis, mania, or suicidal/homicidal ideation
- non-English speaking
Where it is running
- Virginia Commonwealth University — Richmond, Virginia, United States (enrolling)
Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov
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