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A pilot study using ecological momentary assessment via smartphone application to identify adolescent problematic
Meredith Gansner1, Melanie Nisenson1, Nicholas Carson1
1Department of Psychiatry, Cambridge Health Alliance, 1493 Cambridge St, Cambridge, MA, 02139 United States.
Psychiatry Research
|September 5, 2020
Summary
This study found that app-based monitoring is a feasible way to understand Problematic Internet Use (PIU) in adolescents. While PIU correlates with anxiety and depression, anxiety symptoms improved after PIU episodes.
Area of Science:
- Adolescent mental health
- Digital health technology
- Behavioral psychology
Background:
- Problematic Internet Use (PIU) significantly distresses youth, impacting health outcomes, especially in those with psychiatric conditions.
- Previous research on PIU in adolescents is limited by cross-sectional, self-report data, hindering a clear understanding of its dynamics.
- Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) offers a promising method for collecting real-time, ecologically valid data on PIU and mood symptoms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the feasibility and acceptability of app-based EMA for studying Problematic Internet Use (PIU) in adolescents undergoing mental health treatment.
- To characterize the relationship between mood symptoms and PIU using real-time data collection.
- To explore the temporal dynamics between PIU episodes and mood fluctuations in a clinical adolescent population.
Main Methods:
- A 6-week app-based EMA study involving 25 adolescents (aged 12-23) in active mental health treatment.
- Participants regularly completed surveys via the EMA app to monitor PIU and mood symptoms.
- Data analysis focused on feasibility metrics (completion rates) and correlational/temporal relationships between PIU and mood.
Main Results:
- High study completion (96%) and survey adherence (weekly) demonstrate the feasibility of app-based EMA in this population.
- Adolescents with anxiety disorders reported significant benefits from using the app for PIU monitoring.
- PIU severity positively correlated with increased anxiety and depression, yet anxiety symptoms showed improvement following PIU episodes.
Conclusions:
- App-based EMA is an acceptable and feasible method for investigating Problematic Internet Use (PIU) in adolescents receiving mental health care.
- Future research should explore personalized protocols and digital phenotyping for more objective behavioral measurements.
- Understanding the complex interplay between PIU and mood symptoms requires innovative, real-time data collection methods.
