Predicting electronic cigarette dependence and perceived barriers for electronic cigarette cessation: examining the roles of fatigue severity and emotion dysregulation

ABSTRACT

Objectives: Emotion dysregulation is an important individual difference variable for substance use. Limited empirical data has evaluated the influence of emotion dysregulation on e-cigarette use and outcomes related to use. Similarly, the role of fatigue has received little attention in this regard despite emerging links with e-cigarette use.

Methods: Therefore, the present study examined a theoretically informed model focused on whether the experience of more severe fatigue explains, in part, the relation between emotion dysregulation and e-cigarette dependence and perceived barriers to e-cigarette cessation among 525 adult e-cigarette users (50.9% female, M_age = 35.25 years, SD = 10.10).

Results: Results suggest that fatigue severity significantly explains part of the relation between emotion dysregulation and dependence (b = 0.04, 95% CI [0.02, 0.06]) as well as perceived barriers for e-cigarette cessation (b = 0.21, 95%CI [0.14, 0.29]). In addition, reverse models were tested that suggest emotion dysregulation may also explain, in part, the relation between fatigue severity and dependence (95% CI [0.07, 0.34]) as well as perceived barriers for e-cigarette cessation (95% CI [0.96, 1.92]).

Conclusions: The current study provides initial empirical support for the role of fatigue severity in the relation between emotion dysregulation and e-cigarette use processes, but also highlights the potential for bi-directional effects.

KEYWORDS:

• Emotion dysregulation
• fatigue
• electronic cigarettes
• e-cigarette cessation
• e-cigarette dependence

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Kara Manning

Kara Manning is a doctoral student in the University of Houston's Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program. She received her Master of Arts degree in May of 2019 in Clinical Psychology. To date, she has published over 30 peer-reviewed articles and has attended multiple professional conferences around the world. Her research program includes fatigue and substance use disorders among adult populations, as well as understanding transdiagnostic mechanisms that may exacerbate these relations.

Lorra Garey

Dr Lorra Garey is a Research Assistant Professor at the University of Houston. Her research focuses on understanding and attenuating health disparities among underserved and vulnerable populations by examining the interplay between substance use and psychological vulnerabilities and by addressing malleable risk factors, including smoking, in the context of transdiagnostic interventions.

Nubia A. Mayorga

Nubia A. Mayorga is a graduate student in the University of Houston Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program. Her research focuses on examining risk factors associated with negative mental health outcomes and psychological vulnerabilities, including identifying transdiagnostic variables uniquely associated with the Latino population.

Pamella Nizio

Pamella Nizio is a research coordinator for the Anxiety and Health Research Laboratory at the University of Houston. She is interested in researching anxiety disorders and the way in which transdiagnostic vulnerabilities such as anxiety sensitivity, distress intolerance, and emotion dysregulation may underlie substance use and problematic health behaviors.

Michael J. Zvolensky

Dr Michael J. Zvolensky is a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Psychology at University of Houston and Director of the Anxiety and Health Research Laboratory and Substance Use Treatment Clinic. He has published over 400 scholarly works on the co-occurrence of anxiety and stress-related psychopathology with substance use disorders. In this line of work, he also has examined the physical health and health behavior correlates of anxiety-substance use disorder comorbidity, including such conditions as HIV/AIDS, asthma, cardiac disease, and chronic pain. Dr Zvolensky's work is globally aimed at eliminating inequalities in psychopathology, addictive, and other health behaviors through translational research. He has utilized a variety of methodological tactics in his research program, including community-based participatory research (CBPR), laboratory studies, epidemiologic-field (cross-national and prospective), and randomized clinical trials. He has been involved in over 45 NIH grants as PI, Co-PI, or co-investigator, and therefore, has extensive experience leading large and multi-team projects. His research program has received awards from the numerous organizations, including the American Psychological Association, Anxiety and Depression Association of America, and Association for Advancement of Cognitive and Behavior Therapy.