Experience Sampling in Mental Health Research

Experience sampling has transformed research into psychiatric disorders, allowing researchers to come out of the laboratory and observe how people interact with their social and physical environment. Until now, however, there has been no easily accessible guide to the field, making it daunting for students, researchers and clinicians to use the technique. This up-to-date and accessible guide is an essential introduction to experience sampling research, with easy to understand practical information about how to set up a study and analyse the results. I highly recommend this book for anybody who wants to better understand how to employ this methodology.

Richard Bentall, Professor of Clinical Psychology, University of Liverpool

This book is a definitive exploration of the rise and rise of experience sampling methodology in mental health research and – increasingly – treatment. The first proponents of ESM were viewed with general scepticism. The notion of subject-generated, rather than clinician-elicited, symptom data was thought to have overly subjective, of dubious validity and unclear application. The status quo of reliance on standardised interview rating scales was dominant. However, this book shows how far ESM has come in terms of its applicability when harnessed to advanced data analytics and digital methods of collection. It is a definitive theoretical exposition as well as a totally practical handbook.

Shôn Lewis MD BSc FMedSci Professor of Adult Psychiatry, University of Manchester