**3. Results**

#### *3.1. Longitudinal Change in NR Scores*

The first analyses checked for change in participants who answered at least two stages. This showed mean score changes of −0.009 (95% CI = −0.071 to 0.047) between the first and second collections and −0.013 (95% CI = −0.070 to 0.053) between the second and third collections. That the confidence intervals cover no change, and that each includes the mean for the other change, indicates that, despite the small drop in score at each stage, this was neither an important nor statistically significant change.

In addition to the longitudinal effect, the variability of the change between the stages was evaluated. The mean square changes between the first and the second stages was 0.15 (95% CI = −0.011 to 0.019) and between the second and third stages, it was 0.047 (95% CI = −0.027 to 0.077). In contrast to the absence of a longitudinal effect on NR scores, there was lower variability in change between the second and third stages than between the first and second. This may indicate that people with greater mental health problems or distress were less willing to complete the last two stages of the study. These data also indicate probable distinctions between the change across participants. This result justifies subsequent exploration of effects of potential change predictors and, subsequently, the categorization of individual change using the RCI.
