Patient experience of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT): A systematic review

Abstract

In the United Kingdom, electroconvulsive therapy (can be administered according to NICE guidelines for depression, catatonia or severe/prolonged mania (2003 NICE, 2009). ECT was first used in the United Kingdom in 1939 Kalinowsky 1939 and its application and practice has been developed and modernised since. There is a considerable body of research into the efficacy of ECT, and the Royal College of Psychiatrists report that in 2018/2019 68 of patients were much or very much improved following ECT (RCPsych, 2020). It is known however that both public perception and media portrayal of ECT is generally negative (Griffiths and O’Neill Kerr, 2019). Discussion This review highlights patient experiences of ECT through the identification of seven themes The findings suggest that patient experience of ECT includes themes of fear, consent, decision making and autonomy. Patients were found to experience fear and anxiety in regards to the procedure, and studies described patients being poorly informed about ECT. Issues around the consent process were highlighted including those in which patients did not feel they had a choice with regards to treatment ECT was associated with memory loss and cognitive impairment which were captured in patient experience following treatment. In many studies however, ECT was also found to be a tolerable and effective treatment with an improvement in symptoms and patient satisfaction reported The experience of ECT was affected by knowledge and information provision and high standards of service provision, including supportive nursing.