Reactivity to experience sampling among adolescents with and without a lifetime or current history of self-harm thoughts or behaviors

Some ethical committees question whether individuals with a history of self-harm thoughts and behaviors (SHTBs) are "too vulnerable" to take part in experience sampling method (ESM) research and if repeatedly asking about SHTBs could be harmful. Past research has focused on whether participating in ESM research influences SHTBs and has overlooked participants' general experience of ESM studies. We explored the relationships between ESM beep disturbance (disruptiveness) and compliance as well as lifetime and current SHTBs. N = 1507 participants completed baseline questionnaires, including about lifetime history of SHTBs, and N = 1788 completed ESM 10 times per day for 6 days, including questions about how much completing the ESM questionnaire disturbed them and their SHTBs in daily life. There were no significant differences in disturbance or compliance between individuals with no lifetime history of SHTBs, self-harm thoughts, or self-harm behaviors. Individuals reporting self-harm behaviors during the ESM period were more likely to experience the ESM questionnaires as more disturbing. Individuals experienced the ESM questionnaires as more disturbing when more intense self-harm thoughts were reported during the ESM period on average and when their current self-harm thoughts were more intense. Our results indicate that lifetime history of SHTBs does not relate to ESM compliance or beep disturbance. However, ESM may be more taxing for individuals experiencing more intense current SHTBs and at moments when their self-harm thoughts are more intense. We suggest that a "static vulnerability" approach to the ethical evaluation of ESM research based on lifetime history of SHTBs is inappropriate and that a dynamic approach is preferable. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).