The Integration of EMA and Single-Occasion Multimethod Assessment Data for a Complex Psychiatric Patient.

ABSTRACT

The utilization of multimethod assessment approaches can provide comprehensive information regarding daily interpersonal and personality functioning, increasing opportunities to guide treatment planning in a more personalized, evidence-based manner. The routine implementation of multimethod assessment within clinical settings, however, remains rare, and there are few studies that have reviewed the clinical utility of multimethod assessment. Our goal in this study was to analyze multimethod data collected from a single research subject enrolled in residential treatment in order to illustrate the process of integrating data across both single-occasion (e.g., self-report, performance-based, and behavioral tests) and multitimepoint (ecological momentary assessment of interpersonal experiences) dimensions. Results revealed both areas of convergence and divergence across measures, enabling the development of a complex clinical formulation that sharpened diagnostic considerations and contributed valuable insights to treatment planning. Our findings provide support for the value of incorporating multimethod assessment into routine clinical practice.