An mHealth mood management tool to improve population-level tobacco cessation (Acitfy!, Phase II)

Principal Investigator: Jaimee Heffner, PhD 
Funding agency: National Institute of Drug Abuse

We are conducting this study to learn how well a new smartphone application program helps adult smokers quit smoking. In the first phase of the study we will complete the smartphone application development. In the second phase of this study we will compare the Actify! app to an existing smoking cessation app. 

Vet Flexiquit Study

Principal Investigator: Jaimee Heffner, PhD and Megan Kelly, PhD
Co-Investigator: Maria Karekla, PhD
Funding agency: National Institutes of Health

The goal of this study is to adapt a web-based, avatar-led smoking cessation program for Veteran smokers at varying levels of readiness to quit. During the first phase of the study, our team will conduct user-centered design work to target the content of the program to Veteran’s preferences and needs.  In the second phase of the project we will conduct a pilot study to compare the new program (Vet Flexiquit) with an existing web-based cessation program for Veterans.

Vet WebQuit Study

Principal Investigator: Megan Kelly, PhD
Co-Investigator: Jaimee Heffner, PhD
Funding agency: Department of Veterans Affairs

The goal of this study is to tailor an existing web-based tobacco cessation program for Veterans with mental health conditions.

PROACT Study

Principal Investigator: Steven Zeliadt, PhD
Co-Investigator: Jaimee Heffner, PhD
Funding agency: Department of Veterans Affairs, HSR&D

The PROACT trial will evaluate the value of providing proactive behavioral and pharmacotherapy treatment to current smokers as part of participating in lung cancer screening. Tobacco treatment will be integrated with the reporting of the screening results. The PROACT trial is targeting current smokers who are participating in lung cancer screening at VA Providence and VA NY Harbor. Screening participants will be randomized to receive either standardized structured usual care with opt-out treatment accompanying their screening results or advice and unstructured assistance with tobacco treatment for those who request it.  

Wellness Intervention for Smokers with HIV (WISH) Study 

Principal Investigator: Kristina Crothers, MD; Jennifer McClure, PhD; Sheryl Catz, PhD 
Co-Investigator: Jaimee Heffner, PhD
Funding agency:  National Cancer Institute

This study examines the effects of a new telephone and text messaging-based Wellness Intervention for Veteran smokers living with HIV. This new program provides support for smoking cessation and other wellness related personal health goals [such as treatment adherence, mood, nutrition and substance use, etc.,) regardless of the Veteran’s motivation to quit smoking. The goal of the study is to compare the new program to standard care services offered at the VA for Veteran smokers living with HIV. 

WebQuit Plus Study

Principal Investigators: Jaimee Heffner, PhD (contact PI); Michael Ostacher, MD 
Funding agency: National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA)

This purpose of the study is to develop and test a new website to help people who have bipolar disorder quit smoking.  The investigators are comparing quit rates of two groups, both utilizing Nicotine Replacement Therapy and a website, at four research sites; Bedford VA in Boston, Jefferson Center in Denver, Palo Alto VA, and Northampton VA.

Safeway Project

Principal Investigator: Jaimee Heffner, PhD
Co-Investigator: Maria Karekla, PhD and Megan Kelly, PhD
Funding agency: Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center/UW Cancer Consortium, Safeway Early Career Award in Cancer Research

The aim of this study is to adapt a web-based smoking cessation intervention based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for sexual and gender minority young adults. During the first 6 months, our user-centered design process will focus on structuring this program to meet the needs of LGBTQ+ young adults. During the second phase of the study, we will test the acceptability and cessation outcomes of the new intervention in a single-arm pilot trial.

Actify Study

Principal Investigator: Jaimee Heffner, PhD
Funding agency: Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center

This is a pilot trial with the main purpose of informing the development of an app for smokers with mild to moderate depressive symptoms. The investigators are testing user engagement and satisfaction of the Actify app. In addition, the study evaluates changes in smoking status, engagement in valued activities and changes in mood. 

LIFT Study

Principal Investigator: Jaimee Heffner, PhD
Funding agency: National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA)

The goal of the LIFT Study was to adapt an existing Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) based treatment manual to support smoking cessation for people who are diagnosed with bipolar disorder. The pilot trial then tested the ACT based intervention in conjunction with open-label nicotine patch therapy to evaluate quit rates, study retention rates and treatment satisfaction rates. 

Melissa Gasser

Student Intern

Risky alcohol consumption and depression are common and often concurrent in young adults, particularly college students, and there is a need for low-cost, high-accessibility, evidence-based intervention options for this population. The aim of this research is to develop a version of the Actify app tailored to college students which would address both domains via the app's existing basis in brief Behavioral Activation treatment for depression (BATD), in combination with an integrated alcohol intervention. The development of this dual intervention will include a needs assessment to inform subsequent app adjustments followed by user-experience testing.

Noreen Watson PhD, Staff Scientist

My WebQuit

Principal Investigator: Noreen Watson, PhD
Funding Agency: National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA)

Individuals with high levels of social anxiety are at least 2 times more likely to smoke cigarettes and are less likely to quit. The goals of this project are to: (1) use a user-centered design approach to developing new components to promote effective engagement with MyWebQuit among socially anxious smokers, and (2) conduct a sequential multiple assignment randomized trial (SMART) pilot to assess the feasibility of conducting a full-scale SMART and the acceptability and potential impact of the new engagement components on website utilization and smoking cessation outcomes.