Use of Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) in Non-Suicidal Self-Injury (NSSI): A systematic review

Conceptualization and assessment of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) has evolved substantially in recent years. In both cross-sectional and longitudinal studies, NSSI and its related variables have traditionally been assessed retrospectively, leading to less precise studies of the mechanisms involved in the maintenance, cessation, or aggravation of this behavior. Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) enables real-time collection of patient states, which can be very useful in the study of the mechanisms implied in this behavior. This systematic review aims to elucidate the current status of EMA use in NSSI investigation. An exhaustive search in PubMed and PsycINFO was conducted up to September 2017. All papers included were focused on the study of NSSI using EMA. Studies with methodological diversity were included, which were afterwards organized according to main topic of studies. There were no ineligibility criteria based on age or diagnosis. Twenty-three papers were studied, the majority of which are short-term studies focused on the study of affect dynamics and the emotion-regulation function of NSSI. Implications of these results and recommendations for future research are discussed.