Feasibility and validity of computerized ambulatory monitoring in drug-dependent women

To examine the feasibility and validity of computerized ambulatory monitoring in drug-dependent women.

61 women recruited from public substance abuse treatment centers in Montreal, Canada participated in the current study, 84% of whom reported past 30-day polysubstance use. Mood states, craving, and drug use were assessed by standard clinical instruments and by electronic interviews during 7-days of computerized ambulatory monitoring. Feasibility was assessed by examining compliance with intensive monitoring and equipment loss. Concurrent validity was assessed by examining the degree of correspondence of ambulatory data on craving, mood, and substance use with clinic-based assessments of similar constructs.

Participants completed an average 80% of all electronic assessments and no data collection devices were lost or stolen. Relationships among mood, stress, consumption, and craving assessed in the electronic interviews conformed to well-established patterns, and evidence of concurrent validity were found between scores from standard clinical instruments and similar constructs in daily life. Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale (CESD) scores were positively related to sad mood reported during the electronic interviews (p=0.001) and negatively related to happy mood states (p<0.001), explaining approximately 20% of the variance in each mood state. ASI drug use severity scores were positively associated with craving (p<0.001) and substance use (p<0.001), and explained 46% and 30% of these outcomes, respectively.

Computerized ambulatory monitoring is a feasible and valid data collection strategy in drug-dependent individuals.