An evaluation of the Just Five program, a flexible digital approach to adult substance use education

Substance use is a steadily worsening crisis, yet there is limited evidence on the effectiveness of brief educational programs related to substance use disorders (SUD). To address this, the Just Five digital program launched in 2019 with six educational lessons about SUD, each five minutes long. Just Five is delivered through various organizations, including employers as part of workplace wellness, health plans that offer it to members, and to community-based organizations and populations they serve. This study evaluated the effectiveness of the program across 10 organizations in the initial launch. A cross-sectional survey was given to Just Five viewers to establish changes in perceived knowledge and attitudes toward SUD. Results were analyzed among the overall sample; a sub-analysis compared results within the three types of organizations taking part. Between December 2019 and September 2021, 2,749 baseline and 397 follow-up surveys were collected. Significant improvements were observed across almost all questions asked, with the largest improvements in respondent confidence to recognize signs of addiction (52.5% baseline; 87.7% follow-up); knowledge about ways to reduce the risk of addiction (54.1% baseline; 86.5% follow-up); and knowledge of how to help someone with addiction (38.7% baseline; 81.7% follow-up). All trends were replicated in sub-analyses. Substance use has severe societal impacts, and there is a need for effective programs that can be quickly implemented across various environments at large scale. Just Five is a potentially effective tool to increase perceived knowledge and improve attitudes toward SUD.