Reporting guidelines on remotely collected electronic mood data in mood disorder (eMOOD)-recommendations

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Digital Health
• Mental Health Research

Background:

• Prospective mood monitoring has historical roots, with early observations by Kraepelin.
• Recent years show a significant increase in research utilizing remotely collected electronic mood data.
• A lack of standardized methods for collecting, analyzing, and reporting electronic mood data hinders progress.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose guidelines for reporting electronic mood data (eMOOD) to standardize the process.
• To enhance the understanding of mood and mood instability, including their correlates and implications.
• To improve the evaluation and inform future mood research in psychiatry.

Main Methods:

• The paper provides an overview of remotely collected electronic mood data in mood disorders.
• It discusses the necessity of standardized reporting for robust research.
• Guidelines for reporting electronic mood data (eMOOD) are proposed.

Main Results:

• Standardized reporting is crucial for evaluating and informing mood research.
• Adherence to proposed eMOOD guidelines will improve data interpretation.
• Reproducibility and future meta-analyses of mood monitoring studies will benefit.

Conclusions:

• Standardized reporting of electronic mood data is essential for advancing mood disorder research.
• The proposed eMOOD guidelines aim to facilitate consistent data collection and analysis.
• Implementing these guidelines will lead to more reliable and comparable research findings.