Cognitive impairment has been identified as a key factor impacting retention and completion rates of alcohol and drug (AOD) treatment programs, with executive functioning difficulties highlighted as both a cause and consequence of substance use disorders. The present research aims to describe the extent to which adults in residential AOD treatment report executive functioning difficulties and the factors that contribute to this. In addition, the research will evaluate the effectiveness of a cognitive remediation intervention on self-reported executive functioning.
527 adult participants enrolled in residential AOD rehabilitation services were administered self-report and cognitive measures as part of the Alcohol and Drug Cognitive Enhancement (ACE) Study. A portion of participants received a six-week cognitive remediation intervention targeting executive functioning, while control participants received treatment-as-usual.
A large number of participants in the study reported difficulties with thinking and memory (71%) and clinically significant executive functioning difficulties (53%). Factors associated with cognitive impairment were over-represented in the AOD sample including head injuries, neurological conditions, learning difficulties and developmental conditions. Preliminary data analysis demonstrated that participants who received cognitive remediation showed significant improvement in executive functioning, over and above that observed with treatment-as-usual.