Gowarty M, Kung N, Maher A, Longacre M, Brunette M. (2020). Perceptions of mobile apps for smoking cessation among young people in community mental health care: Qualitative study. JMIR Formative Research. 4(10): e19860. doi: 10.2196/19860
Researchers recruited young adult smokers with serious mental illness (SMI) from a New England community mental health center to participate in a qualitative study of perceptions of smartphone smoking cessation apps and app design preferences. Recruitment occurred through study flyers in waiting rooms and clinician referral. Researchers stratified participants by age and focused analysis on daily smokers age 25-35 years (n = 22) with SMI (41% had diagnosed psychotic disorders). Moderated focus group discussions explored past quit or reduction attempts and attitudes towards using smoking cessation apps to support quit or reduction attempts. Researchers used thematic analysis to identify key themes in focus group transcripts. Participants wanted cessation apps that could offer ongoing motivation through in-app social support from other users, progress tracking and feedback (e.g. number of cigarettes avoided, money saved), and rewards (e.g. financial incentives, badges). Other app features of interest included measuring daily smoking frequency, quantity, time of day, and triggers. Participants wanted apps to distract users from smoking cravings by suggesting alternative activities or offering in-app games. Lack of external accountability in apps (e.g. users could enter false information into self-tracking features) concerned participants, yet participants expressed unfavorable opinions of biochemical verification techniques (e.g. breath carbon monoxide monitoring). Participants also worried that an app could trigger cravings by referencing cigarettes. Findings suggest mobile apps may have the potential to support smoking cessation or reduction in young adult smokers with SMI. Identified preferences for app content and features could inform development of smoking cessation apps tailored to the unique needs of this population.