Effects of momentary self-monitoring on empowerment in a randomized controlled trial in patients with depression
Abstract
Background: Interventions based on the experience sampling method (ESM) are ideally suited to provide insight into personal, contextualized affective patterns in the flow of daily life. Recently, we showed that an ESM-intervention focusing on positive affect was associated with a decrease in symptoms in patients with depression. The aim of the present study was to examine whether ESM-intervention increased patient empowerment. Methods: Depressed out-patients ( n = 102) receiving psychopharmacological treatment who had participated in a randomized controlled trial with three arms: (i) an experimental group receiving six weeks of ESM self-monitoring combined with weekly feedback sessions, (ii) a pseudo-experimental group participating in six weeks of ESM self-monitoring without feedback, and (iii) a control group (treatment as usual only). Patients were recruited in the Netherlands between January 2010 and February 2012. Self-report empowerment scores were obtained pre- and post-intervention. Results: There was an effect of group × assessment period, indicating that the experimental (B = 7.26, P = 0.061, d = 0.44, statistically imprecise) and pseudo-experimental group (B = 11.19, P = 0.003, d = 0.76) increased more in reported empowerment compared to the control group. In the pseudo-experimental group, 29% of the participants showed a statistically reliable increase in empowerment score and 0% reliable decrease compared to 17% reliable increase and 21% reliable decrease in the control group. The experimental group showed 19% reliable increase and 4% reliable decrease. Conclusions: These findings tentatively suggest that self-monitoring to complement standard antidepressant treatment may increase patients’ feelings of empowerment. Further research is necessary to investigate long-term empowering effects of self-monitoring in combination with person-tailored feedback.
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Several studies have tested ESM-based personalized feedback in patients with depression with preliminary positive effects on feelings of empowerment and a decrease in symptoms of depression.
“Personalized feedback based on ESM data is new to the field of psychology but several studies have tested the intervention in patients with depression with preliminary positive effects on feelings of empowerment and a decrease in symptoms of depression [26–29].”
Psymate produced a significant reduction in depressive symptoms in the experimental group that was maintained at follow-up.
“Results showed a significant reduction in depressive symptoms in the experimental group that was maintained in the follow-up assessment.”
From Current state and future directions of technology-based ecological momentary assessment and intervention for major depressive disorder: a systematic review (2019) · cites this paper as [63]
Psymate was tested in a sample of 102 clinically depressed patients in a three-arm randomized controlled trial.
“Psymate was tested in a sample of 102 clinically depressed patients in a three-arm randomized controlled trial”
From Current state and future directions of technology-based ecological momentary assessment and intervention for major depressive disorder: a systematic review (2019) · cites this paper as [63]
Decreased depressive symptoms were associated with increased positive daily behaviours.
“Decreased depressive symptoms were also associated with increased positive daily behaviours.”
From Current state and future directions of technology-based ecological momentary assessment and intervention for major depressive disorder: a systematic review (2019) · cites this paper as [63]
Use of Psymate was associated with increased experienced positive affect throughout treatment.
“and with increased experienced PA throughout the treatment”
From Current state and future directions of technology-based ecological momentary assessment and intervention for major depressive disorder: a systematic review (2019) · cites this paper as [63]
Participants in the pseudo-experimental condition reported decreased depressive symptoms in the first weeks of treatment, but this gain was not maintained across the weeks.
“Participants in the pseudo-experimental condition reported decreased depressive symptoms in the first weeks of the treatment, but this gain was not maintained across the weeks.”
From Current state and future directions of technology-based ecological momentary assessment and intervention for major depressive disorder: a systematic review (2019) · cites this paper as [63]
Use of Psymate was associated with increased levels of perceived empowerment, regardless of the presence of weekly feedback.
“the use of Psymate was associated with increased levels of perceived empowerment, regardless of the presence of weekly feedback”
From Current state and future directions of technology-based ecological momentary assessment and intervention for major depressive disorder: a systematic review (2019) · cites this paper as [63]
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- Authors
- Simons, C. J. P., Hartmann, J. A., Kramer, I., Menne-Lothmann, C., Höhn, P., van Bemmel, A. L., Myin-Germeys, I., Delespaul, P., van Os, J., & Wichers, M.
- Affiliations
- Maastricht University Medical Centre (NL)
- The University of Melbourne (AU)
- University Medical Center Groningen (NL)
- Corresponding author
- Simons, C.J.P.
- Venue
- European Psychiatry
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press (CUP)
- Published
- 2015-10-06
- Volume
- 30
- Issue
- 8
- Pages
- 900-906
- ISSN
- 0924-9338 (ISSN-L)
- 1778-3585
- OpenAlex
- W1913745815
- Cited by
- 73
- References
- 40
- Citations by year
- 2026: 8 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 21 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 1 · 2014: 1
- FWCI
- 4.02
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- European Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Research Publications (Maastricht University) (publishedVersion)
- Lirias (submittedVersion)
- University of Groningen research database (University of Groningen / Centre for Information Technology) (submittedVersion)
- Research Publications (Maastricht University) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Dutch Health Research Council (ZON-MW) (171001002, 91501003)
- European Community's Seventh Framework Program (HEALTH-F2-2009-241909)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Mental Health Research Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Digital Mental Health Interventions
- Keywords
- patient empowerment, depression, ecological momentary assessment, positive affect, feedback, antidepressant treatment, outpatients, psychopharmacological treatment
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Aged, Depression, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Outpatients, Power, Psychological, Problem Solving, Quality of Life, Self Care, Patient Satisfaction, Self Efficacy, Young Adult
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