Capturing the short-term temporal development of anomalous self-experiences in adolescents at risk for psychosis: pilot testing the feasibility of the experience sampling method
Poster A36, Thursday, October 20, 11:30 am - 1:00 pm, Le Baron
Lise Baklund1, Paul Møller1, Roar Fosse1; 1Department of Mental Health Research and Development, Vestre Viken Hospital Trust, Norway
Purpose Empirical evidence is close to absent about the temporal development and course of ASE (Anomalous Self-Experience). We consider establishing a study where we use the Experience Sampling Method to capture the temporal development of the frequency and intensity of ASE phenomena among UHR-adolescents in an everyday setting. Here, we present pilot data for the first patient where the ESM is tested out in this concern. Material and Methods A female patient, aged 17, was prompted by sms eight times a day for seven consecutive days, giving a total of 56 prompts. At each prompt she registered with pen and paper the intensity of three idiosyncratic self-disturbances in addition to tailored questions of what she was feeling and doing. Results In a follow-up interview, the patient reported that the seven day prompting schedule was feasible and not too demanding. One of the ASEs was continuously present at a maximum intensity level at each time point, whereas the two other ASEs were intermittently present and with variable intensity. Regression analyses indicated that the intensity of the second ASE was associated with a feeling of uneasiness, whereas the intensity of the third ASE varied with whether the patient was alone or together with others (p < 0,05). Conclusions Data from this first pilot subject indicate that ESM may be a feasible method to capture the short-term temporal development of ASE.
Topic Area: Diagnosis and Phenomenology