Developing a qualitative and quantitative ambulatory assessment-based feedback system within cognitive behavioural interventions for people with persecutory beliefs

ElsevierVolume 40, June 2025, 100819Internet InterventionsAuthor links open overlay panel, , , , , , , , , , Highlights•

Ambulatory assessment-based feedback systems can be tailored to therapy interventions.

Therapy interventions include regular CBT for psychosis and the Feeling Safe Programme combined with peer counselling.

Patients perceive a combination of qualitative and quantitative feedback as valuable.

The feedback systems can be used during a full therapy of six months.

Innovations include clock graphs, stacked graphs, and word clouds with sentences.

AbstractBackground

Although the application of self-monitoring (ambulatory assessment) and visual feedback in psychological interventions has yielded promising results, there are currently no reports on using self-monitoring and feedback during a complete therapy. The online m-Path platform provides a tailorable framework for integrating self-monitoring and visual feedback within different psychological interventions.

Methods

Therapy-specific questionnaires and visual feedback were developed within the online m-Path platform as part of the Feeling Safe-NL trial (registration number: ISRCTN25766661) for regular CBT for psychosis (CBTp) and the Feeling Safe Programme combined with peer counselling (the Feeling Safe-NL Programme). The design process involved people with lived experience, psychologists, peer counsellors, researchers, and software developers. The design principles included that the system should be 1) easy to use, 2) suitable for use during a six-month therapy, 3) focussed on positive and goal-aligned outcomes, 4) understandable by patients and professionals, and 5) informing, guiding, and promoting therapy. Design principles were evaluated using compliance data and a patient questionnaire.

Results

The system was used by 21 patients, of which nine completed the questionnaires for the full therapy period, 168 days on average. Usability data from patients revealed that the system was easy to use, well-explained, and suitable for use over six months of therapy. The patients also reported that the questions overall positively affected their emotions and that the feedback was insightful.

Conclusion

The results support the successful application of the design principles to promote the integration of the self-monitoring and visual feedback system within specific CBTp interventions.

Keywords

Ambulatory assessment

Graphical feedback

Cognitive behaviour therapy

ESM

Psychosis

Persecutory delusions

© 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.

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