Young people can better understand their own feelings when they respond to surveys about their mood multiple times per day for a few weeks. The self-monitoring via this “Experience Sampling Method” (ESM) can potentially strengthen their mental health and wellbeing. However, some young people respond more to these surveys over time than others. Julius März and colleagues examined if these different response patterns are related to young people’s mental health and wellbeing.

Participants aged 12 to 25 years received 5 ESM surveys per day for 3 weeks in the Grow It! mental health app. Some young people continuously completed most surveys, while others either continuously completed around half of them, started by completing many surveys but responded less over time, or did not complete many surveys at all. However, these differences were not related to their current mental health and wellbeing. Also, wellbeing and mental health improved in most participants, no matter if they completed many or few surveys.

This shows that young people respond to ESM surveys quite differently, regardless of their wellbeing and mental health. If we can make ESM surveys and schedules more personalised, young people could be more engaged, and the positive effect of mental health apps could be improved.

These results show that there are distinct patterns in ESM compliance in young people over time. Further examining predictors for these patterns could help personalise ESM designs and strengthen the intervention effects of mHealth apps on young people’s mental health and wellbeing.