Feasibility and Acceptability of Ecological Momentary Assessments in Depressed Older Adults With Multimorbidity

For depressed older adults with multimorbidity (OAMM), depression heterogeneity is exacerbated by MM heterogeneity. Individual-level (i.e., idiographic) methods are an unexplored approach to developing tailored treatments for depressed OAMM—we examined their feasibility and acceptability in this population. Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) data were collected from depressed OAMM. Data on depression and MM symptoms were collected for 14 days in three daily surveys. Participants (N = 23, average age 80.5) reported burdensome symptoms of depression and MM at baseline; 19 progressed to the EMA phase, with minimal attrition (5%). EMA adherence was high (89%), as was satisfaction with the study length, burden, and ease of use of the EMA platform. 55% perceived benefit from completing EMA surveys. This study provides preliminary evidence for the feasibility and acceptability of using EMA to assess depressive and MM-related symptoms among OAMM, and lay the groundwork for testing idiographic approaches in this expanding population.