Taken together , the literature presented in this dissertation illustrates that 1 ) smartphone-based electronic self-monitoring of mood  seems to reflect clinical ly assessed depressive and manic symptoms and enables the long-term characterization of mood instability in bipolar disorder ; 2 ) preliminary results suggest that smartphone-based automatically generated data ( e.g. the number of text messages sent/day ; the number of incoming and outgoing calls/day ; the number of changes in cell tower IDs/day ; and voice features ) seem to reflect clinical ly assessed depressive and manic symptoms in bipolar disorder ; 3 ) smartphone-based electronic self-monitoring had no effects on the severity of depressive and manic symptoms in bipolar disorder , according to a r and omized controlled trial ; and 4 ) electronic  monitoring of psychomotor activity and heart rate variability seems to reflect illness activity in bipolar disorder and differentiate between patients with bipolar disorder and healthy control individuals .
These findings point toward the usefulness of  electronic monitoring  as a marker of illness in bipolar disorder .
Major reasons for the insufficient effects of current treatment options in bipolar disorder include delayed intervention for prodromal depressive and manic symptoms and decreased adherence to psychopharmacological treatment .
The reliance on subjective information and clinical evaluations when diagnosing and assessing the severity of depressive and manic symptoms calls for less biased and more objective markers .
By using electronic devices , fine-grained data on complex psychopathological aspects of bipolar disorder can be evaluated unobtrusively over the long term .
Using electronic monitoring as a treatment intervention could provide innovative and novel interventions on-dem and with a potential global reach , filling the gap between availability and the need for treatment .
A Tailored Web-Based Psychoeducational Intervention for Cancer Patients and Their Family Caregivers
Background : Most programs addressing psychosocial concerns of cancer survivors are in-person programs that are expensive to deliver , have limited availability , and seldom deal with caregivers ’ concerns . Objective : This study examined the feasibility of translating an efficacious nurse-delivered program ( FOCUS Program ) for patients and their caregivers to a tailored , dyadic Web-based format . Specific aims were to ( 1 ) test the preliminary effects of the Web-based intervention on patient and caregiver outcomes , ( 2 ) examine participants ’ program satisfaction , and ( 3 ) determine the feasibility of using a Web-based delivery format . Methods : A phase 2 feasibility study was conducted with cancer patients ( lung , breast , colorectal , prostate ) and their family caregivers ( N = 38 dyads ) . The Web-based intervention provided information and support tailored to the unique characteristics of each patient , caregiver , and their dyadic relationship . Primary outcomes were emotional distress and quality of life . Secondary outcomes were benefits of illness/caregiving , communication , support , and self-efficacy . Analyses included descriptive statistics and repeated- measures analysis of variance . Results : Dyads had a significant decrease in emotional distress , increase in quality of life , and perceived more benefits of illness/caregiving . Caregivers also had significant improvement in self-efficacy . There were no changes in communication . Participants were satisfied with program usability , but recommended additional content . Conclusions : It was possible to translate a clinician-delivered program to a Web-based format that was easy to use and had positive effects on dyadic outcomes . Implication s for Practice : The Web-based program is a promising way to provide psychosocial care to more patients and caregivers using fewer personnel . It needs further testing in a larger r and omized clinical trial
Taken together , the literature presented in this dissertation illustrates that 1 ) smartphone-based electronic self-monitoring of mood  seems to reflect clinical ly assessed depressive and manic symptoms and enables the long-term characterization of mood instability in bipolar disorder ; 2 ) preliminary results suggest that smartphone-based automatically generated data ( e.g. the number of text messages sent/day ; the number of incoming and outgoing calls/day ; the number of changes in cell tower IDs/day ; and voice features ) seem to reflect clinical ly assessed depressive and manic symptoms in bipolar disorder ; 3 ) smartphone-based electronic self-monitoring had no effects on the severity of depressive and manic symptoms in bipolar disorder , according to a r and omized controlled trial ; and 4 ) electronic  monitoring of psychomotor activity and heart rate variability seems to reflect illness activity in bipolar disorder and differentiate between patients with bipolar disorder and healthy control individuals .
These findings point toward the usefulness of  electronic monitoring  as a marker of illness in bipolar disorder .
Major reasons for the insufficient effects of current treatment options in bipolar disorder include delayed intervention for prodromal depressive and manic symptoms and decreased adherence to psychopharmacological treatment .
The reliance on subjective information and clinical evaluations when diagnosing and assessing the severity of depressive and manic symptoms calls for less biased and more objective markers .
By using electronic devices , fine-grained data on complex psychopathological aspects of bipolar disorder can be evaluated unobtrusively over the long term .
Using electronic monitoring as a treatment intervention could provide innovative and novel interventions on-dem and with a potential global reach , filling the gap between availability and the need for treatment .