Examining the research methods of early warning signals in clinical psychology through a theoretical lens.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The past few years have seen a rapid growth in research on early warning signals (EWSs) in the psychopathology domain. Whereas early studies found EWSs to be associated with sudden changes in clinical change trajectories, later findings showed that EWSs may not be general across variables and cases and have low predictive power. These mixed results may be explained by the diverse methods employed in clinical EWS studies, with some of these approaches and practices potentially misaligned with the underlying theory of EWSs.

Methods

This article employs a variety of methods, such as a narrative review, mathematical derivations, simulations, and visual illustrations, to support our claims, explain specific assumptions, and guide future empirical research. This multitu

SUBMITTER: Cui J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11924765 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature