scholarly journals Feasibility of Ecological Momentary Assessment of Negative Emotion in Girls With ADHD: A Pilot Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 123 (4) ◽  
pp. 1027-1043 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dara E. Babinski ◽  
Janelle Welkie

This study explores the feasibility of using mobile phone ecological momentary assessment to evaluate negative emotion in adolescent girls with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). A total of 13 girls with ADHD, ages 12–16 years old (38.5% with comorbid depression), and their mothers completed several daily surveys assessing the intensity and variability of youth negative emotion using mobile phone-based ecological momentary assessment for approximately one week. The rate of response to survey prompts by youth and maternal reports was examined. In addition, associations between girls’ and mothers’ ratings of negative emotion were calculated. Finally, the severity and fluctuation in negative emotion were compared between girls with and without depression. Girls and their mothers demonstrated a high level of compliance with assessment procedures, and maternal and youth ratings were significantly correlated. In addition, girls with comorbid depression and their mothers endorsed significantly more intense and variable negative emotion compared to girls with ADHD alone. These preliminary findings show that ecological momentary assessment is a feasible and valid method for collecting information on emotion regulation among girls with ADHD and their mothers that can be applied to future work aimed at collecting ecologically valid assessments of functioning in girls with ADHD.

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 711-719 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huiying Liu ◽  
Vivian W Q Lou

Abstract Although ecological momentary assessment (EMA) has been used in youth and adult populations, very few of the studies provided evidence of the feasibility and utility of smartphone-based EMA protocols to collect biopsychosocial data from aging populations. This study aimed to describe the design and implementation of a smartphone-based EMA protocol, and to evaluate the feasibility and utility of this EMA protocol among community-dwelling late-middle-aged and older Chinese. A sample of 78 community-dwelling Chinese aged between 50 and 70 years was trained to participate in a 1-week EMA data collection, during which each participant carried an Android smartphone loaded with a researcher-developed EMA application and a smartphone-based electrocardiogram (ECG) monitor to provide psychosocial (e.g., daily activities, social interaction, affect) data and ECG recordings six times daily. Adherence was demonstrated with a total response rate of 91.5% of all scheduled assessments (n = 3,822) and a moderately high level of perceived feasibility. Female participants reported higher compliance to the study and rated the overall experience as more pleasant and interesting than male participants. Our study provided the first evidence of the feasibility and utility of smartphone-based EMA protocols among late-middle-aged and older Chinese. Key areas for improvement in future design and implementation of mobile-based EMA include the incorporation of usable technology, adequate and training, and timely assistance.


2020 ◽  
Vol 46 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S3-S3
Author(s):  
Emma Parrish ◽  
Colin Depp ◽  
Raeanne C Moore ◽  
Philip D Harvey ◽  
Jason Holden ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Previous research employing global positioning satellite (GPS) data and ecological momentary assessment (EMA) has shown that greater aggregated time at home and less distance traveled (diminished life-space) were associated with poorer community functioning and with more severe negative symptoms in people with schizophrenia. Emotional experiences (e.g., pleasure or anxious avoidance) may reduce time spent outside of the home. We evaluated the associations between concurrent and time-lagged positive and negative affective experiences in relation to time at home and distance travelled in the community (life-space) among people with schizophrenia compared to healthy comparators (HCs). Methods Sixty HCs (mean age = 51.2, SD = 10.9) and 91 people with schizophrenia (mean age=52, SD=9), matched on demographic characteristics, completed in-lab assessments of symptoms, cognition, and functioning. They were then given a smartphone and completed EMA assessments 7 times daily for 7 days at stratified random intervals. EMA surveys included questions about daily life activities and affect. GPS coordinates were collected every 5 minutes, 24 hours a day, over the 7-day study period. Results Participants with schizophrenia spent more time at home than HCs (t = -4.95, p < 0.001). Sadness and ratings of relaxation were not associated with distance traveled away or time spent at home. For HCs, happiness was associated with more distance traveled away as measured by GPS (B=6.85, SE= 3.04, Wald Chi-Square = 5.067, p=0.024). However, for people with schizophrenia, only greater nervousness ratings were associated with more distance from home (B=3.41, SE=1.30, Wald Chi-Square=6.88, p=0.009). Moreover, for people with schizophrenia, greater nervousness ratings were associated with more time spent at home (B=2.07, SE= 0.98, Wald Chi-Square=4.43, p=0.035), and greater nervousness also predicted that a person with schizophrenia would be at home at the next survey in lead analyses, (F(1, 3029)=7.533, p=0.006). Taken together, these results suggest both greater nervousness associated with greater distance away from home and anxious avoidance of leaving the home. Discussion For individuals with schizophrenia, greater overall anxiety was associated with reduced time spent out of the home, and when patients did leave the home, greater distance travelled was associated with greater nervousness. In contrast, HC participants experienced greater positive emotion with larger life-space. These data suggest a significant momentary temporal association of anxiety and behavior in schizophrenia, such that greater nervousness predicted an individual would be more likely to stay at home. These findings suggest avoidance of negative emotion may also contribute to diminished motivated behavior, which may even act as an emotion regulation strategy. Life-space, which can be measured readily over time by mobile devices, may be a novel target for rehabilitative interventions for anxious avoidance in schizophrenia.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Kristen Beres ◽  
Ismail Mbabali ◽  
Aggrey Anok ◽  
Charles Katabalwa ◽  
Jeremiah Mulamba ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND An extraordinary increase in mobile phone ownership has revolutionized opportunities to employ mHealth approaches in lower- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) and Intervention (EMAI) uses mobile technology to gather data and deliver timely, personalized behavior change interventions in an individual’s natural setting. To our knowledge, there have been no previous trials of EMAI in sub-Saharan Africa. OBJECTIVE To advance the evidence base for mHealth interventions in LMICs, we conducted a pilot randomized trial to assess the feasibility of EMAI and to establish estimates of the potential effect of EMAI on a range of health-related behaviors in Rakai, Uganda. METHODS This prospective, parallel group, randomized pilot trial compared health behaviors between adult participants submitting EMA data and receiving behaviorally-responsive interventional health messaging (EMAI) to those submitting EMA data, alone. Using a fully-automated mobile phone application, participants submitted daily reports on five different health behaviors during a 30-day period prior to randomization (P1). Participants were then block randomized to control arm, continuing EMA reporting through exit, or intervention arm, EMA reporting plus behavioral health messaging receipt. Participants exited after 90 days of follow-up, divided into study Periods 2 (P2: randomization+29 days) and 3 (P3: 30 days post-randomization to exit). We used descriptive statistics to assess EMAI feasibility through completeness of data, and differences in reported behaviors between time periods and study arms. RESULTS The study included 24 participants per arm (48% female, median age 31 years). EMA data collection was feasible, with 85.5% of the combined 4,418 days reporting some behavioral data. There was a decrease in the mean proportion of days when alcohol was consumed in both arms over time (control: P1, 9.6% of days to P2, 4.3% of days, P=.03; intervention P1, 7.2% of days to P3, 2.4% of days, P=.01). Decreases in sex with a non-long-term partner without a condom were also reported in both arms (P1 to P3 control: 1.9% of days to 1.0% of days, P=.02, intervention: 6.6% of days to 1.3% of days P=.03). An increase in fruit and vegetable consumption was found in the intervention (P1 to P3 fruit: 78.6% of days to 87.0% of days, P=<.001; vegetable: 65.6% of days to 76.6% of days, P =.03 ) but not the control arm. Between arms, there was a significant difference in the change in reported vegetable consumption between P1 and P3 (control: 7.99% decrease in the mean proportion of days vegetables consumed, intervention: 11.05% increase, P=.01). CONCLUSIONS Preliminary estimates suggest that EMAI may be a promising strategy to promote behavior change across a range of behaviors. Larger trials examining the effectiveness of EMAI in LMICs are warranted. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04375423; https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04375423.


10.2196/17034 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. e17034 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yong Sook Yang ◽  
Gi Wook Ryu ◽  
Chang Gi Park ◽  
Insun Yeom ◽  
Kyu Won Shim ◽  
...  

Background Moyamoya disease (MMD) is a known progressive obstructive cerebrovascular disorder. Monitoring and managing mood and stress are critical for patients with MMD, as they affect clinical outcomes. The ecological momentary assessment (EMA) method is a longitudinal study design by which multiple variable assessments can be performed over time to detect momentary fluctuations and changes in psychological dimensions such as mood and stress over time. Objective This study aimed to identify predicting factors associated with momentary mood and stress at both the within-person and between-person levels and to examine individual fluctuation of mood over time in the short term using an EMA method combined with a mobile phone app. Methods Participants aged older than 18 years were recruited from a tertiary hospital in Seoul, Korea, between July 2018 and January 2019. The PsyMate scale for negative affect (NA) and positive affect (PA) and the Trier Inventory for Chronic Stress Scale were uploaded on patient mobile phones. Using a mobile app, data were collected four times a day for 7 days. Pearson correlations and mixed modeling were used to predict relationships between repeatedly measured variables at both the between-person and within-person levels. Results The mean age of the 93 participants was 40.59 (SD 10.06) years, 66 (71%) were female, and 71 (76%) were married. Participants provided 1929 responses out of a possible 2604 responses (1929/2604, 74.08%). The mean momentary NA and PA values were 2.15 (SD 1.12) and 4.70 (SD 1.31) out of 7, respectively. The momentary stress value was 2.03 (SD 0.98) out of 5. Momentary NA, PA, and stress were correlated (P<.001) and varied over time in relation to momentary variables. Common momentary variables associated with momentary mood and stress at both the within-person (level 1) and between-person (level 2) levels were identified. Momentary NA increased when being alone and being at the hospital at both levels, whereas momentary PA increased when eating or drinking, resting, being at a café, restaurant or a public place but decreased when being alone at both levels. Momentary stress increased when being at the office, at a public place, or as the time of the day went by but decreased when resting or during the weekend. Different factors affecting mood and stress at different levels were identified. Fluctuations in individual momentary mood over time at the within-person level were captured. Conclusions The EMA method using a mobile phone app demonstrated its ability to capture changes in mood and stress in various environmental contexts in patients with MMD. The results could provide baseline information for developing interventions to manage negative mood and stress of patients with MMD based on the identified predictors affecting mood and stress at two different levels.


Author(s):  
David Habsara Hareva ◽  
Hiroki Okada ◽  
Hisao Oka

The mobile phone has become a popular tool for providing information and capturing responses from different groups of people because of its technological features and portability. EMA (Ecological Momentary Assessment) is commonly used by health researchers to contemporaneously capture information regarding human experience. The authors proposed the use of a mobile EMA system as a supportive intervention to collect real-time patient data and to give back real-time advice. In this study, a mobile EMA system has been utilized by patients with a variety of conditions, including mood disorders, behavior disorders, and physical disorders. The real-time data collection included one or more pieces of information at each moment to improve understanding the causal mechanisms of disease. The effectiveness of real-time advice has been examined by comparing a mobile EMA system with and without this function. Patient compliance was high on average, at approximately 89%, and was higher, at approximately 93%, when advice was given. In several cases, the supportive intervention was shown to help patients improve their health conditions. However, the results were dependent on the patients’ motivation, environment, and relationship with their doctor. The EMA data regarding advice given showed that symptoms tended to improve in most cases.


2018 ◽  
Vol 48 (14) ◽  
pp. 2337-2345 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine Frost Visser ◽  
Farnaz Zamani Esfahlani ◽  
Hiroki Sayama ◽  
Gregory P. Strauss

AbstractBackgroundPrior studies using self-report questionnaires and laboratory-based methods suggest that schizophrenia is characterized by abnormalities in emotion regulation (i.e. using strategies to increase or decrease the frequency, duration, or intensity of negative emotion). However, it is unclear whether these abnormalities reflect poor emotion regulation effort or adequate effort, but limited effectiveness. It is also unclear whether dysfunction results primarily from one of the three stages of the emotion regulation process: identification, selection, or implementation.MethodThe current study used ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to address these questions in the context of everyday activities. Participants included 28 outpatients diagnosed with schizophrenia (SZ) and 28 demographically matched healthy controls (CN) who completed 6 days of EMA reports of in-the-moment emotional experience, emotion regulation strategy use, and context.ResultsResults indicated that SZ demonstrated adequate emotion regulation effort, but poor effectiveness. Abnormalities were observed at each of the three stages of the emotion regulation process. At the identification stage, SZ initiated emotion regulation efforts at a lower threshold of negative emotion intensity. At the selection stage, SZ selected more strategies than CN and strategies attempted were less contextually appropriate. At the implementation stage, moderate to high levels of effort were ineffective at decreasing negative emotion.ConclusionsFindings suggest that although SZ attempt to control their emotions using various strategies, often applying more effort than CN, these efforts are unsuccessful; emotion regulation abnormalities may result from difficulties at the identification, selection, and implementation stages.


2016 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. e72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joost Asselbergs ◽  
Jeroen Ruwaard ◽  
Michal Ejdys ◽  
Niels Schrader ◽  
Marit Sijbrandij ◽  
...  

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