Motivational interviewing for e-cigarette cessation induction in young adults delivered via telehealth plus nicotine patch

Despite increasing rates of e-cigarette use among young adults and increasing evidence that many want to quit e-cigarettes in the near future, few healthcare professionals provide information or guidance to their patients who use e-cigarettes. Psychologists are well positioned to assess and treat e-cigarette use given high co-occurrence with other mental health concerns, including anxiety and mood disorders. The current pilot study sought to examine the feasibility and acceptability of telehealth-delivered motivational interviewing intervention paired with nicotine transdermal patch for e-cigarette cessation. Participants (N=5) were daily young adult users of nicotine-containing e-cigarettes who were interested in cutting down on e-cigarette use but were not ready to quit completely. Participants received four weekly sessions of MI delivered via telehealth on a HIPAA compliant video platform plus transdermal nicotine patches. Overall, the intervention was feasible to deliver and acceptable to participants. Most (80%) of participants attended all four sessions. Additionally, 60% quit e-cigarettes completely by the end of the 3-month study period. Despite the brevity of the intervention and remote delivery, participants perceived a strong therapeutic alliance with their clinician. This study has clear clinical implications for psychologists: While individuals who use e-cigarettes may not seek out the assistance of psychologists for help in addressing their e-cigarette use, psychologists’ training make them well suited to assist their patients with e-cigarette cessation.