MATAspire: Mental Health Awareness Tailored App for Substance Prevention and Integrated Resilience Education

MATAspire: Mental Health Awareness Tailored App for Substance Prevention and Integrated Resilience Education

The MATAspire intervention is a web-app designed to promote substance misuse prevention education and bolster protective coping skills whereby students complete six weekly interactive modules using a smart device or computer. Each module is approximately 15-20 minutes long and focuses on select substances and coping strategies: (i) adaptive coping strategies, (ii) alcohol, (iii) cannabis, (iv) nicotine, (v) prescription drugs and opioids, (vi) final module. The modules are based on key theoretical constructs, behavior change strategies, and practical module components: attitudes (knowledge), perceived susceptibility (risk perceptions), and subjective norms (normative re-education). The intervention will be evaluated via a time series design using a sample of (~1000 students) randomly assigned to either the intervention or the control conditions at a public institution in Southern California.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Current Cal State Northridge (CSUN) matriculated students with active CSUN email
• Age 18 and older

Exclusion Criteria:

• Not currently a CSUN student
• CSUN students under the age of 18 years
• Have previously participated in this study
• Identified as having an alcohol or substance use disorder (AUD or SUD) as determined by the brief Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) 5 screener