Ecological Momentary Assessment for Assessing Affect Patterns Associated With Depression in Cancer Survivors in...

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Psychiatry
• Digital Health

Background:

• Depressive symptoms are prevalent in cancer survivors.
• Assessing depression is challenging due to recall bias and treatment side effects like cognitive impairment.
• Self-report questionnaires may lack reliability in this population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility and patient satisfaction of smartphone-based Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA).
• To assess EMA's utility in primary care settings for cancer survivors.

Main Methods:

• Selected adult cancer survivors (treated within 2 years) for a 6-week study.
• Utilized smartphone-based EMA with thrice-daily questionnaires on affect and experiences.
• Provided weekly feedback reports and conducted post-study evaluations via questionnaires and phone calls.

Main Results:

• Achieved a 17.0% recruitment reach and a 20.9% response rate.
• Most participants found EMA clear and easy, with a 67% completion rate.
• High prompt frequency (64%) and mixed views on duration (52% appropriate, 48% too long) were reported; participants noted inattentiveness over time but valued weekly feedback.

Conclusions:

• The 6-week EMA feasibility and acceptability were not fully supported in primary care cancer survivors without depressive symptoms due to low reach and response rates.
• EMA was perceived as user-friendly, offering valuable insights, and may be more suitable for cancer survivors experiencing depressive symptoms.
• Further research could refine EMA protocols for better engagement in survivorship care.