The goal of this observational study is to learn the feasibility of using a mobile application "Stressometer" to measure perceived stresss levels several times per day. The study will also explore if the stress scores collected with the application are similar to results from standard questionnaires about stress, anxiety, and depression. The main questions it aims to answer are: Can participants regularly report their stress four times a day for two weeks using the mobile application? Do participants find the application easy and acceptable to use? Are stress scores collected with the application related to scores from validated questionnaires on stress, anxiety, and depression? Participants will: Use the Stressometer mobile application to rate their stress level four times per day for 14 days Complete questionnaires about stress, anxiety, and depression at the beginning and/or end of the study Provide feedback on how easy and acceptable the application is to use Researchers will use this information to understand whether this mobile tool is practical for measuring stress in daily life and whether it provides results similar to established psychological questionnaires.
Stress is a dynamic psychological state that can fluctuate throughout the day. Traditional methods for assessing stress, such as validated psychometric questionnaires, typically rely on retrospective reporting and may not fully capture short-term variations in perceived stress. Mobile health technologies approaches offer the opportunity to measure stress in real time and in naturalistic settings. The Stressometer is a mobile application developed to allow rapid and repeated self-assessment of perceived stress using a simple numeric scale. However, the feasibility of using such a tool multiple times per day over a sustained period, as well as its relationship with established psychometric measures, remains to be established. In a preliminary study, feasibility was investigated in a sample of 30 healthy student participants. Participants were instructed to report their perceived stress level using the Stressometer application four times per day (morning, midday, evening, and bedtime) over a 14-day period. Compliance with repeated assessments and participant engagement were monitored throughout the study. In addition to mobile-based stress assessments, participants completed validated psychometric questionnaires evaluating stress, anxiety, depression, and well-being. Mean stress scores obtained via the Stressometer were subsequently analyzed and correlated with questionnaire-derived scores to assess convergent validity. This study aims to further evaluate the feasibility of intensive longitudinal stress measurement using a mobile application, focusing on compliance rates and user acceptability. It also seeks to examine the relationship between real-time stress ratings and standardized psychological measures, in order to determine whether the Stressometer provides a reliable and ecologically valid assessment of perceived stress in daily life.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
30
A mobile application used to collect self-reported perceived stress levels multiple times per day using a numeric rating scale. Participants are prompted to complete four daily assessments (morning, midday, evening, and bedtime) over a 14-day period
CERITD
Évry, France
Feasibility - Compliance with Stressometer Assessments
Feasibility will be assessed by measuring participant compliance with repeated ecological momentary assessments using the Stressometer mobile application over a 14-day period. Compliance is defined as the proportion of completed stress assessments out of the total expected entries (56 assessments per participant). Participants will be considered highly compliant if they complete at least 80% of expected entries (≥45/56 assessments).
Time frame: 14 days
Usability and User Experience
User experience will be evaluated using a post-study questionnaire assessing perceived time burden, ease of use, technical issues, and effectiveness of reminders. Outcomes include descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage) and average completion time per assessment. This measure evaluates engagement, usability, technical reliability, and acceptability of the application.
Time frame: At end of study (Day 14)
Perceived stress scores measured by Stressometer and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-14)
Perceived stress will be assessed using the Stressometer mobile application (mean score over 14 days) and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-14). The association between these measures will be evaluated using correlation coefficients (Pearson or Spearman).
Time frame: Baseline and Day 14
Anxiety score measured by the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-Y)
Anxiety levels will be assessed using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-Y), including the State Anxiety (STAI-Y1) and Trait Anxiety (STAI-Y2) subscales. Total scores for each subscale will be collected and analyzed descriptively in relation to perceived stress levels measured by the Stressometer application.
Time frame: Baseline and Day 14
Well-being score measured by the WHO-5 Well-Being Index
Subjective well-being will be assessed using the World Health Organization 5-item Well-Being Index (WHO-5). Total questionnaire scores will be collected and analyzed descriptively in relation to perceived stress levels measured by the Stressometer application.
Time frame: Baseline and Day 14
Daily sleep quality score measured by Visual Analog Scale (VAS)
Subjective sleep quality will be assessed each morning using a Visual Analog Scale (VAS), where participants rate the quality of their sleep during the previous night on a continuous scale (e.g., 0-10). Daily sleep quality scores will be recorded over the 14-day study period. The correlation between daily perceived stress scores and sleep quality scores will be assessed using Pearson or Spearman correlation coefficients.
Time frame: 14 days (daily repeated measures)
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