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Experiences and attitudes of UK early career psychiatrists towards electroconvulsive therapy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 August 2024

L. Alexander ,
G. Bhatia  and
M. Pinto da Costa
L. Alexander*
Affiliation:
1South London and the Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust 2Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
G. Bhatia
Affiliation:
1South London and the Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
M. Pinto da Costa
Affiliation:
1South London and the Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust 2Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom 3Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
*
*Corresponding author.

Abstract

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Introduction

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is effective in treating severe major depressive disorder, manic episodes, and catatonia. Despite this, it is a controversial treatment amongst patients, carers, and even some psychiatrists in the UK.

Objectives

To determine the experiences and perceptions of UK psychiatric trainees and early-career psychiatrists regarding the use of ECT in clinical practice.

Methods

An anonymous survey was distributed online to UK psychiatric trainees and early-career psychiatrists across the country. The questionnaire consisted of 36 multiple-choice and Likert scale questions.

Results

So far, 44 trainees and early-career psychiatrists have responded. The vast majority had witnessed ECT administration during training and had administered ECT under supervision. Most respondents agreed or strongly agreed that ECT was a safe and effective treatment, and most respondents disagreed or strongly disagreed that ECT is cruel or outdated. There were more varied views regarding perceptions of side effects and contraindications: a minority of respondents were unsure about whether ECT had long-term side effects, and whilst most respondents disagreed or strongly disagreed that ECT has many risks and contraindications, just under half were unsure or agreed.

Conclusions

Most UK psychiatric trainees and early-career psychiatrists have experience of ECT during training and believe ECT is a safe and effective treatment. Respondents had a mixed view regarding the side-effect profile and risks/contraindications of ECT, which may be an important area for further education and training.

Disclosure of Interest

None Declared

Type
Abstract
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 67 , Special Issue S1: Abstracts of the 32nd European Congress of Psychiatry , April 2024 , pp. S796
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of European Psychiatric Association
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