Published online Sep 22, 2016. doi: 10.5498/wjp.v6.i3.303
Peer-review started: June 29, 2016
First decision: August 5, 2016
Revised: August 11, 2016
Accepted: August 27, 2016
Article in press: August 29, 2016
Published online: September 22, 2016
Processing time: 82 Days and 20.3 Hours
To analyze the viability of Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) for measuring the mental states associated with psychopathological problems in adolescents.
In a sample of 110 adolescents, a sociodemographic data survey and an EMA Smartphone application over a one-week period (five times each day), was developed to explore symptom profiles, everyday problems, coping strategies, and the contexts in which the events take place.
The positive response was 68.6%. Over 2250 prompts about mental states were recorded. In 53% of situations the smartphone was answered at home, 25.5% of cases they were with their parents or with peers (20.3%). Associations were found with attention, affective and anxiety problems (P < 0.001) in the participants who took longer to respond to the EMA app. Anxious and depressive states were highly interrelated (rho = 0.51, P < 0.001), as well as oppositional defiant problems and conduct problems (rho = 0.56, P < 0.001). Only in 6.2% of the situations the subjects perceived they had problems, mainly associated with inter-relational aspects with family, peers, boyfriends or girlfriends (31.2%). We also found moderate-high reliability on scales of satisfaction level on the context, on positive emotionality, and on the discomfort index associated with mental health problems.
EMA methodology using smartphones is a useful tool for understanding adolescents’ daily dynamics. It achieved moderate-high reliability and accurately identified psychopathological manifestations experienced by community adolescents in their natural context.
Core tip: Adolescence is a stage of life characterized by a great many changes. If they are not coped with effectively, these changes may trigger mental health problems. Among the range of methodologies used to assess the impact of daily problems, Ecological Momentary Assessment allows the recording of mental microprocesses and fluctuations as they happen. We found anxious and depressive states were highly interrelated, as well as oppositional defiant problems and conduct problems in daily life. This methodology based on mobile technology using smartphones is a useful tool with high viability for measuring psychopathological mental states in adolescents in their natural context.