Chan E, Sun Y, Aitchison K, Sivapalan S. Mobile App–Based Self-Report Questionnaires for the Assessment and Monitoring of Bipolar Disorder: Systematic Review. JMIR Form Res 2021;5(1):e13770 DOI: 10.2196/13770
to determine the state of evidence for feasibility and validity of mobile app-based self-report questionnaires as tools for monitoring of bipolar symptoms. All papers published in English that assessed adherence to and validity of mobile app-based self-report surveys for monitoring patients with bipolar disorder were included. A total of 13 articles were identified. Four studies assessed the concurrent validity of mobile self-report tools and all 4 found a statistically significant association between mood ratings collected via mobile app self-report and clinical assessment using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale or Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale. . Two studies observed statistically significant associations between data collected via mobile app self-report tools and instruments assessing clinically- related factors. Satisfactory adherence rates (at least 70%) were observed in all but 1 study that used a once-daily assessment. There was a wide range of adherence rates in studies using twice-daily assessments (42-95%). Overall, the review demonstrated that mobile app-based self-report instruments are valid relative to established assessment methods for measuring symptoms of mania and depression in patients with bipolar disorder. Future research is needed to evaluate feasibility of mobile self-report methods for identifying acute episodes and to inform insights into differences between patients with bipolar disorder and those without lived experience of this condition.