Digital measures of activity and motivation impact depression and anxiety in the real world

Abstract Mood and anxiety disorders are highly comorbid, with symptom severity varying over time. Individuals with and without these disorders completed 30-days of ecological momentary assessment (EMAs) of depression, anxiety and distress, developed based on the established Mood and Anxiety Symptom...

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Main Authors: Jacqueline M. Beltrán, Yael Jacob, Marishka M. Mehta, Tasnim Hossain, Abigail Adams, Samantha Fontaine, John Torous, Catherine McDonough, Matthew Johnson, Andrew D. Delgado, James W. Murrough, Laurel S. Morris
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-05-01
Series:npj Digital Medicine
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41746-025-01669-0
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author Jacqueline M. Beltrán
Yael Jacob
Marishka M. Mehta
Tasnim Hossain
Abigail Adams
Samantha Fontaine
John Torous
Catherine McDonough
Matthew Johnson
Andrew D. Delgado
James W. Murrough
Laurel S. Morris
author_facet Jacqueline M. Beltrán
Yael Jacob
Marishka M. Mehta
Tasnim Hossain
Abigail Adams
Samantha Fontaine
John Torous
Catherine McDonough
Matthew Johnson
Andrew D. Delgado
James W. Murrough
Laurel S. Morris
author_sort Jacqueline M. Beltrán
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Mood and anxiety disorders are highly comorbid, with symptom severity varying over time. Individuals with and without these disorders completed 30-days of ecological momentary assessment (EMAs) of depression, anxiety and distress, developed based on the established Mood and Anxiety Symptom Questionnaire (MASQ). These electronic MASQ (eMASQ) EMAs were collected alongside novel intrinsic and extrinsic motivation EMAs, and physical/digital activity measures (steps/screentime) across N = 70–101 participants. Each eMASQ-EMA significantly related to its corresponding MASQ measure. Extrinsic and intrinsic motivation negatively related to each eMASQ-EMA and had the greatest influence on patients’ overall symptom profile. Physical, but not digital activity, was negatively associated with concurrent and 1-week lagged anxiety and depression, highlighting the temporally delayed benefits of physical activity on depression and anxiety symptoms in psychiatric groups. Collectively, this study suggests cognitive constructs related to drive and physical activity, may be useful in predicting continuous and transient psychiatric symptoms in the real-world.
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spelling doaj-art-b23a8aed019842ee8cbe31fbce664e3f2025-08-20T03:53:13ZengNature Portfolionpj Digital Medicine2398-63522025-05-018111510.1038/s41746-025-01669-0Digital measures of activity and motivation impact depression and anxiety in the real worldJacqueline M. Beltrán0Yael Jacob1Marishka M. Mehta2Tasnim Hossain3Abigail Adams4Samantha Fontaine5John Torous6Catherine McDonough7Matthew Johnson8Andrew D. Delgado9James W. Murrough10Laurel S. Morris11Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiDepartment of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiDepartment of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiDepartment of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiDepartment of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiDepartment of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiBeth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical SchoolDepartment of Population Health Science & Policy, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiThe Charles Bronfman Institute for Personalized Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiDepartment of Population Health Science & Policy, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiDepartment of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiDepartment of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiAbstract Mood and anxiety disorders are highly comorbid, with symptom severity varying over time. Individuals with and without these disorders completed 30-days of ecological momentary assessment (EMAs) of depression, anxiety and distress, developed based on the established Mood and Anxiety Symptom Questionnaire (MASQ). These electronic MASQ (eMASQ) EMAs were collected alongside novel intrinsic and extrinsic motivation EMAs, and physical/digital activity measures (steps/screentime) across N = 70–101 participants. Each eMASQ-EMA significantly related to its corresponding MASQ measure. Extrinsic and intrinsic motivation negatively related to each eMASQ-EMA and had the greatest influence on patients’ overall symptom profile. Physical, but not digital activity, was negatively associated with concurrent and 1-week lagged anxiety and depression, highlighting the temporally delayed benefits of physical activity on depression and anxiety symptoms in psychiatric groups. Collectively, this study suggests cognitive constructs related to drive and physical activity, may be useful in predicting continuous and transient psychiatric symptoms in the real-world.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41746-025-01669-0
spellingShingle Jacqueline M. Beltrán
Yael Jacob
Marishka M. Mehta
Tasnim Hossain
Abigail Adams
Samantha Fontaine
John Torous
Catherine McDonough
Matthew Johnson
Andrew D. Delgado
James W. Murrough
Laurel S. Morris
Digital measures of activity and motivation impact depression and anxiety in the real world
npj Digital Medicine
title Digital measures of activity and motivation impact depression and anxiety in the real world
title_full Digital measures of activity and motivation impact depression and anxiety in the real world
title_fullStr Digital measures of activity and motivation impact depression and anxiety in the real world
title_full_unstemmed Digital measures of activity and motivation impact depression and anxiety in the real world
title_short Digital measures of activity and motivation impact depression and anxiety in the real world
title_sort digital measures of activity and motivation impact depression and anxiety in the real world
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41746-025-01669-0
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