Implementing assessments via mobile during the acute posttrauma period: feasibility, acceptability and strategies to improve response rates.

Background: PTSD is posited to develop in the acute posttrauma period. Few studies have examined psychopathology symptoms within this period due to the demands on individuals in the first month after a trauma. Mobile devices can overcome these barriers. The feasibility of using mobile devices for this purpose, however, is unclear. Objective: The present study evaluated the acceptability of administering PTSD symptom assessments via a mobile application throughout the acute posttrauma period. Method: Participants (N = 90) were recruited from a Level 1 Trauma Center within M = 4.88 days of experiencing a traumatic event. A mobile application was placed on their smartphone that administered a daily self-report assessment of PTSD symptoms for 30 days. Participants were compensated US$1 for each assessment completed. Results: The overall response rate was 61.1% or M = 18.33, SD = 9.12 assessments. Assessments were accessed M = 65.2 minutes after participants were notified to complete them and took M = 2.52 minutes to complete. Participants reported that the daily assessments were not bothersome and were moderately helpful. Conclusion: The present study suggests that using mobile devices to monitor mental health symptoms during the acute posttrauma period is feasible and acceptable. Strategies are needed to determine how to best take advantage of these data once collected.

Antecedentes: Se ha propuesto que el Trastorno por Estrés Post-Traumático (TEPT) se desarrolla en el período post-trauma agudo. Pocos estudios han estudiado síntomas psicopatológicos durante este periodo, debido a las demandas de los individuos en el primer mes después de un trauma. Los dispositivos móviles pueden superar estas barreras. Sin embargo, la viabilidad de usar dispositivos móviles para este propósito no está clara. Objetivo: Este estudio evaluó la aceptabilidad de la administración de evaluaciones de síntomas de TEPT a través de una aplicación para dispositivos móviles durante el periodo agudo post-trauma. Método: Los participantes (N=90) fueron reclutados desde un Centro de Trauma de Nivel 1 con M=4,88 días de haber experimentado un evento traumático. Se instaló una aplicación en sus teléfonos móviles, que administró una evaluación diaria de autoreporte de síntomas de TEPT, por 30 días. Los participantes fueron compensados con US$1 por cada evaluación completada. Resultados: La tasa de respuesta general fue 61,1% o M=18,33, SD=9,12 evaluaciones. Se tuvo acceso a las evaluaciones M=65,2 minutos después que los participantes fueron notificados para completarlas y les tomó M=2,52 minutos completarlas. Los participantes reportaron que las evaluaciones diarias no fueron tediosas y fueron moderadamente útiles. Conclusión: El presente estudio sugiere que usar dispositivos móviles para monitorear síntomas de salud mental durante el periodo post-trauma agudo es viable y aceptable. Se necesitan estrategias para determinar cómo sacar el mayor provecho de estos datos una vez obtenidos.

Tracking post-trauma psychopathology using mobile applications: A usability study.

Trauma exposure markedly increases risk for psychopathology including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Understanding the course by which PTSD develops after a traumatic event is critical to enhancing early intervention. Although prior work has explored the course of PTSD symptoms in the subsequent months, relatively few studies have explored the course of symptoms in the acute post-trauma period, defined as the 30 days after a traumatic event. A key challenge to conducting such studies is the lack of efficient means to collect data that does not impose significant burden on the participant during this time. The present study evaluated the use of a mobile phone application to collect symptom data during the acute post trauma period. Data was obtained from 23 individuals who experienced a Criterion A traumatic event and were recruited from the Emergency Department of a Level 1 Trauma Center. Participants completed 44.93% of daily assessments across a 30-day period. Responses rates were uncorrelated with PTSD symptoms or depression symptoms at 1-month and 3-month posttrauma. Participants reported that the surveys were moderately helpful and posed minimal burden. These findings suggest that mobile applications can be used to learn about the course of post-trauma recovery.