Abstract Details

Approximately 20% of MS patients meet criteria for MDD, but MS-informed MDD treatment is difficult to obtain. DTx products offer a promising avenue for broad dissemination of mental healthcare due to low per-person cost and ease of accessibility. 

Observe and measure patient experience for a digital therapeutic (DTx) designed for major depressive disorder (MDD) in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients.

Participants were 20 adults with self-reported MS and moderately-severe to severe depressive symptoms. Participants had access to the program for four weeks and were instructed to complete two activities daily and one track during the study. Weekly, participants provided feedback on activities completed to a clinician researcher, and completed a semi-structured interview on their overall experience and impressions of the program upon completing the study. 

On average, participants completed 3 activities per day and two tracks over four weeks. Using thematic analysis, we coded participants’ interview responses. For overall impressions of the program, four major themes emerged: easy to use, effective, more MS-specific content, and repetition. For perceptions of MS-related content, four major themes also emerged: MS stress, routine, symptom challenges, and more modifications. For perceptions of mental health content, three major themes emerged: reframe negative thoughts, subtly improved mood, and brief activities. Finally, when comparing to other products/treatments, four major themes emerged: adjunctive, convenience, no side effects, and unlike other apps. All participants also expressed interest in using the program longer than four weeks.