Skill sessions may help students put things off less and reduce harm from substances

The study

1. 01

   Who took part

   80 university students in Nigeria, aged 20 to 25. There were 60 men and 20 women, and all had a substance use problem picked out by a questionnaire.

2. 02

   What they did

   Each of the three groups had eight one-hour sessions over eight weeks. The sessions taught how putting things off works and one skill: mindfulness, managing emotions, or coping with distress. The fourth group had no sessions and only filled in the questionnaires.

3. 03

   What happened

   At the end, all three skill groups put things off less than the group with no sessions. The managing-emotions group did best. Harm from substances was lower in the skill groups too. The paper's numbers do not fully match, so the size of the effects is uncertain.

What the study found

1. HelpedProcrastination

   Students who had mindfulness training and lessons on putting things off put things off less than students with no training.

   • Action: Learn how the problem workstested
   • Action: Practise mindfulnesstested

   Small trial of 80 students in Nigeria with substance use problems · vs students with no training · they rated themselves · ⚠ numbers unreliable; results look too good to be true

2. HelpedProcrastination

   Students who had emotion training and lessons on putting things off put things off less than students with no training.

   • Action: Learn how the problem workstested
   • Action: Notice the unpleasant feeling and start anywaytested

   Small trial of 80 students in Nigeria with substance use problems · vs students with no training · they rated themselves · ⚠ numbers unreliable; results look too good to be true

3. HelpedProcrastination

   Students who had distress training and lessons on putting things off put things off less than students with no training.

   • Action: Learn how the problem workstested

   Small trial of 80 students in Nigeria with substance use problems · vs students with no training · they rated themselves · ⚠ numbers unreliable; results look too good to be true

4. HelpedOther outcomes

   Students who had skills sessions and lessons on putting things off had less substance harm than students with no sessions.

   • Action: Learn how the problem workstested

   Small trial of 80 students in Nigeria with substance use problems · vs students with no sessions · they rated themselves · ⚠ numbers unreliable; results look too good to be true

Source