“That Which Is Measured Improves”: An Integrative Review Of The Role Of Self-monitoring In Symptom Self-management And Behavior Change

Current psychological treatment approaches that rely on time-intensive, face-to-face psychotherapy are not capable of meeting the demand for mental health services. Mental health interventions that promote self-regulation and self-management of symptoms will play an increasingly important role in the well-being of millions of individuals. Self-monitoring is a core assessment and intervention component of many mental health interventions and an obligatory first step in the self-regulation process. The present paper reviews prominent theories of self-regulation and describes classic studies spanning clinical, social, cognitive, and personality psychology, which identify potential mechanisms underlying self-monitoring. At the empirical level, we describe the use of self-monitoring across a range of behavioral interventions directed at mental health and physical outcomes, identify factors that influence the effects of self-monitoring, and suggest ways in which technology can be incorporated into these interventions to improve the reach of psychological interventions.