Ambulatory Assessment in Psychopathology Research: A Review of Recommended Reporting Guidelines and Current Practices

The use of ambulatory assessment (AA; Trull & Ebner-Priemer, 2013) in psychopathology research, whichincludes experience-sampling methods (ESM) as well as ecological momentary assessment (EMA), hasincreased dramatically over the last several decades. Previously, methodological and reporting guidelineshave been presented to outline best practices and provide input on methodological issues and decisionsthat are faced when planning and conducting AA studies (e.g., Bolger & Laurenceau, 2013; Mehl & Conner,2012; Stone & Shiffman, 2002). However, despite the publication of these important resources andguidelines, it remains an open question as to how much uniformity or consistency is evident in the designand reporting of AA studies of psychopathology. To address this, we review the reported practices ofpublished studies using AA in major psychopathology journals (Journal of Abnormal Psychology,Psychological Medicine, Clinical Psychological Science) over the last 7 years (2012-2018). Our reviewhighlights: (1) sample selection and size; (2) sampling design; (3) selection and reporting of measures; (4)devices used and software; (5) compliance; (6) participant training, monitoring and remuneration; and (7)data management and analysis. We conclude with recommendations for reporting the features of futureAA studies in psychopathology.