Abstract
BackgroundDespite the growing interest in the experience sampling method (ESM) as a data collection tool for mental health research, the absence of methodological guidelines related to its use has resulted in a large heterogeneity of designs. Concomitantly, the potential effects of the design on the response behavior of the participants remain largely unknown.ObjectiveThe objective of this meta-analysis was to investigate the associations between various sample and design characteristics and the compliance and retention rates of studies using ESM in mental health research.MethodsESM studies investigating major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, and psychotic disorder were considered for inclusion. Besides the compliance and retention rates, a number of sample and design characteristics of the selected studies were collected to assess their potential relationships with the compliance and retention rates. Multilevel random/mixed effects models were used for the analyses.ResultsCompliance and retention rates were lower for studies with a higher proportion of male participants (P<.001) and individuals with a psychotic disorder (P<.001). Compliance was positively associated with the use of a fixed sampling scheme (P=.02), higher incentives (P=.03), higher time intervals between successive evaluations (P=.02), and fewer evaluations per day (P=.008), while no significant associations were observed with regard to the mean age of the sample, the study duration, or other design characteristics.ConclusionsThe findings demonstrate that ESM studies can be carried out in mental health research, but the quality of the data collection depends upon a number of factors related to the design of ESM studies and the samples under study that need to be considered when designing such protocols.
Highlights
The experience sampling method (ESM) [1] or ecological momentary assessment (EMA) [2] can be used interchangeably to refer to an assessment method that involves the collection of repeated and momentary self-evaluations in the context of an individual’s daily life
The compliance rate can be defined as the ratio of the number of self-evaluations that participants completed over the theoretical maximum number of self-evaluations allowed by the protocol (0%-100% when expressed as a percentage), whereas the retention rate refers to the proportion of participants included in the final analyses
We found a number of design characteristics that were associated with the compliance and retention rates
Summary
Background The experience sampling method (ESM) [1] or ecological momentary assessment (EMA) [2] can be used interchangeably to refer to an assessment method that involves the collection of repeated and momentary self-evaluations in the context of an individual’s daily life. The compliance rate can be defined as the ratio of the number of self-evaluations that participants completed over the theoretical maximum number of self-evaluations allowed by the protocol (0%-100% when expressed as a percentage), whereas the retention rate refers to the proportion (or percentage) of participants included in the final analyses (eg, a subject withdrawing their participation from a study, for example, because the data collection procedure is experienced to be too burdensome, would be excluded) These two rates are often inherently linked in ESM research, as participants providing an insufficient number of responses are conventionally excluded from the analyses [11], which in turn influences the retention rate. The potential effects of the design on the response behavior of the participants remain largely unknown
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
