The experiences of people who quit khat and the health care professionals who support them

Background: This study aimed to explore the barriers and enablers to quitting khat from the perspective ofusers and the barriers and enablers to supporting users to quit from the perspective of healthcareprofessionals (HCPs).Methods: The present qualitative study was conducted using semi-structured interviews and the TheoreticalDomains Framework (TDF) to collect and analyse data.Findings: Overall, 10 khat users and 3 professionals were interviewed. Beliefs about the consequences ofcontinued use facilitated user’s decisions to quit. Social influences were both a barrier and an enabler. Forprofessionals, the social influence of other colleagues and working together was key in enabling them tosupport clients. Social/professional role and identity was also an important enabler, as professionals sawsupporting users to quit as an integral part of their role. A range of behaviour change techniques wasidentified as potential ways in which quitting attempts could be more successful, from the perspective ofusers and professionals.Conclusion: The study reveals the complexity of khat chewing and quitting from the perspective of khat users,such as the varied influence of family and friends. It also identifies the many barriers and enablers thatprofessionals experience when supporting individuals to quit, such as working with other professionals.There is little evidence for the effectiveness of current services provided for quitting khat or little informationoutlining how they were developed. Current services would benefit from evaluating the effectiveness of theinterventions using established methodology. Recommendations have been provided for practice in the fieldof substance misuse.