The ESTxENDS Trial- Substudy on the Effects of Using Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) on Depression

Summary

--\> This is a substudy of the main ESTxENDS trial (NCT03589989). Depression outcomes should be considered secondary outcomes of the main smoking cessation outcome formulated in NCT03589989.

Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in Switzerland and still more than a quarter of the Swiss population smokes cigarettes. Smoking and depression are strongly associated. Individuals with depression are twice as likely to be smokers than persons without a depression. Studies have shown that attempts to quit tobacco smoking are more likely to fail for individuals with depression than without. Depressive symptoms are common in prolonged nicotine withdrawal and individuals with depression are more nicotine dependent and more likely to suffer depressive symptoms during nicotine withdrawal compared to smokers in the general population.

Recently, electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS; also called vaporizer or electronic cigarette) have become popular with smokers who want to stop smoking or reduce their exposure to inhaled chemicals since ENDS use appears to be safer than tobacco smoking. ENDS with nicotine containing e-liquids may be effective in assisting with tobacco smoking cessation without suffering depressive symptoms.

This study will therefore test the efficacy of ENDS for cigarette smoking cessation, the safety of ENDS on adverse events and the effect of ENDS on health-related outcomes such as depression and exposure to inhaled chemicals.

For the main ESTxENDS trial (NCT03589989), cigarette smokers motivated to quit smoking cigarettes will be included. Participants in the intervention group will receive an ENDS and nicotine-containing e-liquids, which they will be allowed to use ad libitum. Additionally, they will receive smoking cessation counseling. Participants in the control group will receive smoking cessation counseling only. All participants will be followed over a 24-month period. Presence and severity of depression will be assessed using the 9-question depression scale from the patient health questionnaire (PHQ-9) at baseline and at 6, 12 and 24 months' follow-up.

Conditions

• Smoking Cessation
• Depression

Interventions

OTHER

ENDS (vaporizer/e-cig) and smoking cessation counseling

Participants in the intervention group will receive an ENDS and nicotine-containing e-liquids, which they will be allowed to use ad libitum. Additionally, they will receive smoking cessation counseling. Participants will be allowed to additionally use nicotine replacement therapy. All participants will be followed over a 24-month period. Smoking cessation counseling will be provided in person at the first clinical visit and then over the phone at the target quit date one week later and again at week 2, 4 and 8 after the target quit date. After 6, 12 and 24 months, participants will be asked to come to a clinical visit.

OTHER

Smoking cessation counseling

Participants in the control group will receive smoking cessation counseling only. Participants will be allowed to additionally use nicotine replacement therapy. All participants will be followed over a 24-month period. Smoking cessation counseling will be provided in person at the first clinical visit and then over the phone at the target quit date one week later and again at week 2, 4 and 8 after the target quit date. After 6, 12 and 24 months, participants will be asked to come to a clinical visit.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Lausanne

  collaborator OTHER

• University of Geneva, Switzerland

  collaborator OTHER

• University of Zurich

  collaborator OTHER

• State Hospital, St. Gallen

  collaborator OTHER_GOV

• Swiss National Science Foundation

  collaborator OTHER

• Krebsforschung Schweiz, Bern, Switzerland

  collaborator OTHER

• Federal Office of Public Health, Switzerland

  collaborator OTHER_GOV

• University of Bern

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Reto Auer, Prof.Dr.med · Berner Institut für Hausarztmedizin (BIHAM)

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2018-07-16

Primary Completion

2023-08-31

Completion

2023-08-31

Countries

• Switzerland

Study Locations