Knowledge of and Attitudes Toward Electroconvulsive Therapy Among Medical Students, Psychology Students, and the General Public

Aki, Özlem Erden; Ak, Sertaç; Sonmez, Þ Yunus Emre; Demir, Başaran

doi:10.1097/yct.0b013e31826c9f05

Cited by 39 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…On our inspection of the mean scores, we noticed that knowledge and attitudes about ECTwere comparable or slightly better in the general public compared with university students. Other studies have similarly shown that psychologists and psychology students have the least favorable views of ECT compared with psychiatrists, social workers, nurses, 28 psychiatry students, and the general public, 29 possibly because of their preference for psychotherapy 16,29 or greater appreciation of a potential clinical impact of memory loss, which is typically assessed by psychologist. Our general public sample may have possessed a fair knowledge of ECT because a great proportion reported diagnoses of either mood or psychotic disorders, and several had prior exposure to ECT through family/friends.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Effect of an Educational Video and Information Pamphlet on Knowledge and Attitudes About Electroconvulsive Therapy

Shin

Taylor

et al. 2022

J ECT

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Objective: Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is considered an effective, yet underused and stigmatized form of psychiatric treatment. Public misconception can impact informed decision making, and therefore, it is important to educate the community with accurate and realistic representations of modern ECT. The aim of this study was to determine whether exposure to brief information packages developed in Australia leads to changes in attitudes and knowledge about ECT.Methods: A sample of 100 undergraduate psychology students and 88 volunteers from the general public were randomly allocated to view 1 of 3 resource packages (each containing an information pamphlet and videos totaling ~15 minutes): Concord Centre for Mental Health-Revised, Concord Centre for Mental Health-Original, and a generic information package on depression. Participants' attitudes and knowledge of ECT were assessed before and after psychoeducation using the Questionnaire on Attitudes and Knowledge of ECT (QuAKE).Results: Participants in the student and general population exposed to either ECT resource package showed significantly improved attitudes and knowledge of ECT compared with participants exposed to generic information about depression and its treatment. A fine-grained analysis of the QuAKE revealed that, although many aspects of knowledge and attitudes improved after exposure to ECT information packages, some remained unchanged.Conclusions: Brief education through information resources in video and written format can markedly improve attitudes and knowledge toward ECT. Further research is recommended to determine whether the resources contribute to informed decision making of consumers with mental illness, especially those who are candidates for ECT.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Effect of an Educational Video and Information Pamphlet on Knowledge and Attitudes About Electroconvulsive Therapy

Shin

Taylor

et al. 2022

J ECT

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“…Many students in the health professions in the United States and abroad harbor negative attitudes toward ECT (Abbas et al, 2007; Aki et al, 2013; Clothier et al, 2001; Walter et al, 2002), including nursing students (Kavanagh & McLoughlin, 2009; Sharma et al, 2017). In a recent study on perceptions about psychiatry and mental illness we conducted among nursing students, views on ECT was one of only two items that paradoxically worsened (i.e., showed increased stigma) by the end of an introductory psychiatry course (Martin et al, 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Addressing Electroconvulsive Therapy Knowledge Gaps and Stigmatized Views Among Nursing Students Through a Psychiatrist–APRN Didactic Partnership

Kitay

Walde

Robertson

et al. 2020

J Am Psychiatr Nurses Assoc

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BACKGROUND: Knowledge gaps and stigmatized perceptions regarding electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) among patients and health providers contribute to the underutilization of an important therapeutic modality. The proactive education of future advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) provides an opportunity to optimize the use of this evidence-based clinical practice. AIMS: As part of a general course in psychiatry during the first year of nursing school, we dedicated 1 hour to treatment-refractory depression, including ECT, and a second hour to a summary discussion of mood disorders. We evaluated the efficacy of this didactic offering, which was co-taught by a psychiatrist and a psychiatric APRN. METHOD: At baseline, consenting students ( n = 94) provided three words they associated with ECT and then completed three validated instruments: (a) Questionnaire on Attitudes and Knowledge of ECT, (b) Opening Minds Stigma Scale for Health Care Providers, and (c) Self-Stigma of Seeking Help. Among the 67 students who repeated the assessment at endpoint, 39 attended the ECT didactic (Intervention group, 58%) and 28 did not (Control, 42%). RESULTS: After completion of the 3-month course, students showed improvement across all measures ( p < .001). The only outcomes that improved differentially between the Intervention and Control groups were the Questionnaire on Attitudes and Knowledge of ECT Attitudes and Knowledge scales ( p = .01). Word choice valence associated with ECT shifted favorably by endpoint ( p < .001). CONCLUSIONS: An educational intervention co-led by a psychiatric-mental health APRN had a significant impact on nursing students’ knowledge and perceptions of ECT. This approach can be readily implemented at other institutions. Future refinements will include the videotaped depiction of a simulated patient undergoing the consent, treatment, and recovery phases of ECT.

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“…When introducing ECT as a new treatment, clinic staff’s attitudes toward ECT were considerably improved if formal information adapted to each profession was given, with special emphasis on nurses, and contact to ECT-experienced patients ( Scholz-Hehn et al, 2019 ). Even proper information on ECT for the students of medicine and psychology was helpful to stimulate a positive attitude in the early stages of the health professionals’ careers ( Aki et al, 2013 ; Aoki et al, 2016 ; Alexander et al, 2020a , b ). Several lines of scientific evidence confirmed that a remarkably better attitude was reached by comprehensive, clear, and open information about the specific data of the ECT applying unit ( Li et al, 2016 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Risk Assessment of Electroconvulsive Therapy in Clinical Routine: A 3-Year Analysis of Life-Threatening Events in More Than 3,000 Treatment Sessions

Hajak

Hajak²,

Ziegelmayer³

et al. 2021

Front. Psychol.

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Background: Extensive research has reported that electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) can be highly effective in approximately 80% of patients suffering from depression. Its clinical use is mainly limited by historical objections and the concern about unwanted adverse effects (AEs), including serious and potentially life-threatening adverse events (pLTAEs), induced either by ECT or by anesthesia. Objective risk estimation is, therefore, a decisive factor in determining an indication for ECT.Methods: This paper presents a retrospective analysis of 3-year safety protocols and patient files of 157 patients who received a total of 3,106 ECT applications in a psychiatric inpatient setting at a psychiatric community hospital. This patient group comprises 5.3% of inpatients admitted with comparable diagnoses. Adverse events were analyzed from standardized safety protocols and patient files with a focus on pLTAEs.Results: Adverse events were reported for 30 (19.1%) of the 157 participants during 39 (6.1%) of 641 hospital stays. Serious pLTAEs occurred during three electroconvulsive stimulations in three patients, who needed action through the administration of medication or mechanical respiration. No patient suffered permanent damage to health, and no patient died. The incidence of these and other AEs was independent of sex, age, and diagnosis of patients, and anesthesia medication. Minor AEs occurred more often with higher stimulus doses and an increasing number of treatments.Conclusion: The low incidence rate of 0.097% of serious pLTAEs that require medical action may allow the conclusion that ECT is a rather safe treatment when performed in a controlled setting. The beneficial risk profile of ECT performed in the standard care of psychiatric hospitals suggests a more generous indication of this treatment method. We recommend that ECT facilities collect individual safety data to allow a reliable judgment of their institutional ECT risk profile.

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Knowledge of and Attitudes Toward Electroconvulsive Therapy Among Medical Students, Psychology Students, and the General Public

Cited by 39 publications

References 16 publications

Effect of an Educational Video and Information Pamphlet on Knowledge and Attitudes About Electroconvulsive Therapy

Effect of an Educational Video and Information Pamphlet on Knowledge and Attitudes About Electroconvulsive Therapy

Addressing Electroconvulsive Therapy Knowledge Gaps and Stigmatized Views Among Nursing Students Through a Psychiatrist–APRN Didactic Partnership

Risk Assessment of Electroconvulsive Therapy in Clinical Routine: A 3-Year Analysis of Life-Threatening Events in More Than 3,000 Treatment Sessions

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