Sleep disturbances and suicidality are common presentations of mood disorders.

If not closely monitored post-discharge, patients may be at an increased risk of symptom worsening, relapse, and completed suicide.

We aimed to explore the associations between telephonic mood monitoring, suicidality, and sleep quality in a clinical sample, and to gauge participants’ experience of mood monitoring.

Monitoring of mood states, suicidality, and sleep quality post-discharge may facilitate improvements in suicidality and sleep quality and allow for early detection of relapse when initiated in the early post-discharge period.

Such monitoring is relatively cost-effective and may relieve the burden on the mental healthcare system, especially when face-to-face consultations are not possible.

Sleep disturbances and suicidality are common presentations of mood and anxiety disorders. If not closely monitored post-discharge, patients may be at an increased risk of symptom worsening and completed suicide. We explored the associations between telephone mood monitoring, suicidality, and sleep quality in a clinical sample. Fifty inpatients (mean age = 39.49, SD = 11.17; female = 74%) with a mood and/or anxiety disorder were telephonically monitored weekly post-discharge for16 weeks for depression and mania. Suicidality and sleep quality were assessed at intake (pre-discharge), and at weeks 4, 8, 12, and 16 post-discharge. ANOVA indicated that suicidality significantly decreased, and sleep quality improved over 16 weeks. Linear regression analysis indicated that depression severity at week 1 post-discharge significantly predicted suicidality and sleep quality at week 16. Mania severity at week 1 post-discharge predicted sleep quality, but not suicidality, at week 16. Participants generally had positive experiences of the monitoring and perceived it as helpful. Monitoring of mood state, suicidality, and sleep quality post-discharge may allow for early detection of relapse when initiated at 1-week post-discharge. This is a potentially cost-effective intervention and may relieve the burden on the mental healthcare system, especially when face-to-face consultations are not possible.

Bipolar disorder

Depression

Remote monitoring

Insomnia

Mood severity

Altman Self-Rating Mania scale

Columbia Suicide Severity Scale

Childhood Trauma Questionnaire

Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index

Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology

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