title: Repeated self-evaluations may involve familiarization: An exploratory study related to Ecological Momentary Assessment designs in patients with major depressive disorder.
abstract: A growing body of research in clinical psychology is now relying on Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA). EMA is fitted to investigate fluctuating processes and as such, it is of particular interest in a clinical context in which patients are often characterized by fluctuating behaviors and affective states or symptoms. EMA typically involves frequent self-evaluations over long periods, which may influence patient response. The present study aimed to determine whether EMA follow-ups could influence the participants' self-evaluations over time. The sample comprised 24 outpatients suffering from a Major Depressive Disorder (15 women, age = 51.4 ± 9.6). This study relied on an EMA protocol involving self-evaluations of seven depressive symptoms twice a day over 5 months. Patients did not show any clinical improvement following the clinical screening and the level of depressive symptoms during the follow-up. As a novel finding, significant moderate to large effects were observed for decreased variability and instability of psychological states over time. The main difference in temporal properties of psychological states was found after the first two weeks of the follow-up. This study characterized early changes in patients' self-evaluations, suggesting the idea of a valuable familiarization period during the first two weeks of an EMA follow-up.
authors.affiliation: Department of Sport and Physical Education Sciences, Laboratory Movement, Interactions, Performance, Nantes, EA 4334, France. Electronic address: hugo.vachon@univ-nantes.fr.
authors.forename: Hugo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Vachon
authors.affiliation: Department of Sport and Physical Education Sciences, Laboratory Movement, Interactions, Performance, Nantes, EA 4334, France.
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bourbousson
authors.affiliation: Department of Sport and Physical Education Sciences, Laboratory Movement, Interactions, Performance, Nantes, EA 4334, France.
authors.forename: Thibault
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Deschamps
authors.affiliation: French National Institute of Sport, Expertise and Performance (INSEP), Research Department, Laboratory of Sport, Expertise and Performance, Paris, EA 7370, France.
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Doron
authors.affiliation: Clinical Investigation Unit Behavioural Addictions/Complex Mood Disorders, Addictology and Liaison-Psychiatry Department, Nantes University Hospital, France.
authors.forename: Samuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bulteau
authors.affiliation: Clinical Investigation Unit Behavioural Addictions/Complex Mood Disorders, Addictology and Liaison-Psychiatry Department, Nantes University Hospital, France.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sauvaget
authors.affiliation: Department of Sport and Physical Education Sciences, Laboratory Movement, Interactions, Performance, Nantes, EA 4334, France.
authors.forename: Véronique
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Thomas-Ollivier
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology*; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D059026:Diagnostic Self Evaluation; D000072860:Ecological Momentary Assessment; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012647:Self-Assessment
keywords: Depression; Experience sampling method; Instability; Longitudinal; Variability