Swendsen and colleagues31 used experience sampling to assess self-medication of negative mood states with drinking behavior and found that nervousness, but no other affective symptom was associated with alcohol use later in the day. Studies utilizing experience sampling methods have the advantage that information is gathered as the study participant experiences the negative mood during daily activities. Any subsequent alcohol use may be monitored throughout the day and assessed in temporal relation to mood status. On the other hand, population-based studies may provide information for a large representative sample of the population, irrespective of whether they have received treatment.
