JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Mood monitoring is widely used by people with depression and bipolar disorder (BD) to prevent relapse and improve insight into their condition but it is unclear if these interventions have an impact on symptoms and for whom. As the capacity for passive mood monitoring increases it is vital to improve our understanding of frequent mood assessment.

Objective:

This systematic review and meta-analysis assessed the effect of mood monitoring interventions in people with depression and BD to decrease relapse risk and symptoms of depression and mania.

Methods:

We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis (PROSPERO: CRD42023396473) and reported results according to PRISMA guidelines. RCTs with clinically important follow up periods were identified via multiple database searching and rated for risk of bias using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. The primary outcomes were symptoms of depression and mania. Available data was pooled to calculate standardized mean differences for the primary outcomes: severity of depression, bipolar depression and mania/hypomania.

Results:

We included 8 trials of 1,230 participants and 6 different mood monitoring protocols. In BD, meta-analysis found a small but not statistically significant effect of mood monitoring interventions on decreasing mania symptoms (6 comparisons, n = 873, SMD: -0.16 (-0.34 to 0.01)) and no effect on bipolar depression (6 comparisons, n = 873, SMD: -0.08 (-0.31 to 0.15)). In depression, we found a small effect in decreasing symptoms of depression of borderline statistical significance at 12 months (2 comparisons, n = 262, SMD: -0.25 (-0.49, 0.00)) but not at 6 months (2 comparisons, n = 268, SMD: -0.21 (-0.54, 0.12)). There was an absence of evidence on the effect of mood monitoring on decreased relapse rates or readmission rates. Studies had low risk of bias. There was no evidence on mood monitoring through ecological momentary assessment.

Conclusions:

Overall mood monitoring interventions do not increase or decrease mood symptoms in people with bipolar disorder nor is there robust evidence of such effects in people with unipolar depression. Further research is merited on different forms of mood monitoring and to determine under what circumstances mood monitoring might have beneficial or adverse effects.