Validation of life-charts documented with the personal life-chart app – a self-monitoring tool for bipolar disorder

Abstract

BackgroundLong-term monitoring in bipolar affective disorders constitutes an important therapeutic and preventive method. The present study examines the validity of the Personal Life-Chart App (PLC App), in both German and in English. This App is based on the National Institute of Mental Health’s Life-Chart Method, the de facto standard for long-term monitoring in the treatment of bipolar disorders.MethodsMethods have largely been replicated from 2 previous Life-Chart studies. The participants documented Life-Charts with the PLC App on a daily basis. Clinicians assessed manic and depressive symptoms in clinical interviews using the Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology, clinician-rated (IDS-C) and the Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) on a monthly basis on average. Spearman correlations of the total scores of IDS-C and YMRS were calculated with both the Life-Chart functional impairment rating and mood rating documented with the PLC App. 44 subjects used the PLC App in German and 10 subjects used the PLC App in English. 118 clinical interviews from the German sub-sample and 97 from the English sub-sample were analysed separately.ResultsThe results in both sub-samples are similar to previous Life-Chart validation studies. Again statistically significant high correlations were found between the Life-Chart function rating assigned through the PLC App and well-established observer-rated methods. Again correlations were weaker for the Life-Chart mood rating than for the Life-Chart function impairment. No relevant correlation was found between the Life-chart mood rating and YMRS in the German sub-sample.ConclusionThis study gives further evidence for the validity of the Life-Chart method as a valid tool for the recognition of both manic and depressive episodes. Documenting Life-Charts with the PLC App (English and German) does not seem to impair the validity of patient ratings.

Electronic self-monitoring of mood using IT platforms in adult patients with bipolar disorder: A systematic review of the validity and evidence

“…Of these, 35 articles were excluded from review due to 1) not describing a mood self-monitoring tool ( n = 10) [ 19 – 28 ] 2) not reporting on patient data ( n = 13) [ 29 – 41 ], 3) being review articles ( n = 2) [ 42 , 43 ], and 4) not reporting on validated clinical rating scales for depression and mania ( n = 10) [ 44 – 53 ]. A total of 13 articles fulfilled the eligibility criteria and were included in the qualitative analysis [ 12 , 16 , 54 – 64 ].…”

“…Of the 13 included articles seven were RCTs [ 16 , 57 , 58 , 60 – 63 ] and six had a longitudinal design (non-RCTs) [ 12 , 54 – 56 , 59 , 64 ]. One article did not present data on follow-up period [ 55 ].…”

How Do People Experiencing Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders or Other Psychotic Disorders Use the Internet to Get Information on Their Mental Health? Literature Review and Recommendations

“…However, our review of the literature suggests that despite the ethical and security issues raised by some studies [66,68,70], the Internet is likely to offer mental health services that are effective as interventions [14,37,45,48,59] and relapse prevention tools [10,14,45,47] in the field of severe mental disorders such as schizophrenia spectrum disorders or other psychotic disorders. Getting health information on the Internet and being able to manage one’s mental disorder with Web-based tools helps people experiencing schizophrenia spectrum disorders or other psychotic disorders to participate to medical decision-making processes, gain empowerment, and balance relationships with doctors [9,32,33].…”

“…Internet, social media, and online technologies have become powerful tools in the mental health sector, leading transformations that go from infodemiology and infoveillance—the monitoring of suicidal tendancies [3-6] or medical antidepressants prescription behaviors [7], for example, with a Google Trends-based approach—to crowdsourcing for conducting randomized trials for the purpose of scientific research [8], not to mention the delivery of evidence-based therapies targeting various mental illnesses [9,10]. Some thought papers have studied the evolution of telepsychiatry, also called “e-mental health care,” where this expression defines a “practice supported by electronic processes and communication, (including) mental health applications and links on mobile phones” and services of “information (delivering), peer support services, computer- and Internet-based programs, virtual applications, and games, as well as real time interaction with trained clinicians” [11].…”

“…Research has stressed the fact that this emerging kind of support is a cost-effective and ongoing resource that defies geographical, timely, and social barriers (the “mental health gap”) [12,13] without replacing the traditional system [14,15]. While there has been an increase in the number of people using the Internet for information and support relating to mental health disorders, available resources—from psychoeducation to self-help therapy, peer-to-peer support forums, and e-counseling—focus mainly on depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder, with a particular interest in the monitoring of signs and symptoms by smartphone or digital application [10], together with psychoeducational programs [9] and not so much on schizophrenia spectrum disorders or other psychotic disorders.…”