Advances in the Real-time Documentation of Psychosis and Suicidal Ideation

Abstract

Clinical interviews are typically used in the assessment psychosis and related clinical symptoms. However, these measures are limited by recall bias and averaging, and thus important information is lost. Ambulatory real-time monitoring devices have the advantage of providing detailed and sensitive information about symptoms. This can provide valuable information about change and fluctuations in symptoms across time. Suicide represents a substantial problem in psychiatry, but little is known about the immediate triggers of suicidal ideation. Psychological theory suggests that the instability, in addition to the intensity, of depressed mood may be an important risk factor for the development of suicidal ideation. Mobile phone-based assessments may allow for a more accurate measure of suicidality and mood across time. In this presentation, a new smart phone software application (ClinTouch) for the assessment of psychotic and related symptoms will be described. Research investigating the feasibility, acceptability, and limitations of mobile-phone based assessment will be discussed in relation to people with psychosis. Mobile phone-based research investigating the short-term predictors of thoughts about self-injury will also be considered. The talk will finish with an outline of how mobile-based assessments could be applied in clinical settings.