Piloting of the Just Say Know prevention program: a psychoeducational approach to translating the neuroscience of addiction to youth

ABSTRACT

Background

Substance use during adolescence can have a number of negative consequences and interfere with normal brain development. Given limited time and resources, brief group- and school-based prevention programs are an efficient strategy for educating youth about the effects of substance use on health outcomes.

Objectives

To determine if a science-based, interactive substance prevention program could improve student knowledge and influence students’ attitudes toward future substance use behaviors.

Methods

The Just Say Know program was given to 1,594 middle and high school students. The facilitator engaged students in an interactive, hour-long session covering brain basics and effects of substance use. Students completed an eight-item pre- and post-knowledge-based test to measure learning outcomes along with feedback questions about youths’ attitudes toward substance use and the program.

Results

After the program, 94% of students reported that it provided helpful information; 92% reported it may influence their approach to substance use, with 76% specifying that they would delay or cut back on substance use. Knowledge-based test performance increased by 78%, with high schoolers displaying significantly higher scores than middle schoolers, but both showing similar improvements in scores. Students who reported higher levels of friends’ substance use had smaller improvements from pre- to posttest.

Conclusion

Results suggest Just Say Know, a scientifically-based prevention program, is effective in increasing adolescents’ program based-knowledge, has the potential to affect youths’ attitudes toward substance use, and is well-received. These findings provide preliminary evidence that a cost-effective, neuroscience-informed group prevention program might reduce or delay adolescents’ future substance use.

KEYWORDS:

• Prevention
• substance use
• alcohol
• adolescence
• intervention

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the following individuals who played a key role in the success of this program: Emily Bristol, Kelsey Gnade, Renee Rountree, Dominic Ingram, Saima Akbar.

Disclosure of interest

The authors report that they have no conflicts of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism under Grant K23AA025399; The Henry and Sylvia Yaschik Foundation; and an Anonymous Family Foundation.