Early career psychiatrists’ perceptions of and training experience in electroconvulsive therapy: A cross-sectional survey across Europe
Abstract Background Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a safe and effective treatment for several major psychiatric conditions, including treatment-resistant depression, mania, and schizophrenia; nevertheless, its use remains controversial. Despite its availability in some European countries, ECT is...
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Cambridge University Press
2024-01-01
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| Series: | European Psychiatry |
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| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S092493382401798X/type/journal_article |
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| author | Cristiana Țăpoi Laith Alexander Renato de Filippis Agorastos Agorastos Diogo Almeida Gautam Bhatia Gamze Erzin Martyna Ewa Gołębiewska Enita Metaj Sara Medved Krista Mieze Miloš Milutinović Camille Noël Antonina Pushko David Gurrea Salas Alejandro Compaired Sanchez Alina Wilkowska Rick P. F. Wolthusen Mariana Pinto da Costa |
| author_facet | Cristiana Țăpoi Laith Alexander Renato de Filippis Agorastos Agorastos Diogo Almeida Gautam Bhatia Gamze Erzin Martyna Ewa Gołębiewska Enita Metaj Sara Medved Krista Mieze Miloš Milutinović Camille Noël Antonina Pushko David Gurrea Salas Alejandro Compaired Sanchez Alina Wilkowska Rick P. F. Wolthusen Mariana Pinto da Costa |
| author_sort | Cristiana Țăpoi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract
Background
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a safe and effective treatment for several major psychiatric conditions, including treatment-resistant depression, mania, and schizophrenia; nevertheless, its use remains controversial. Despite its availability in some European countries, ECT is still rarely used in others. This study aims to investigate the experiences and attitudes of early career psychiatrists (ECPs) across Europe towards ECT and to examine how their exposure to ECT influences their perceptions.
Methods
In Europe, a cross-sectional survey was conducted among ECPs, including psychiatric trainees and recently fully qualified psychiatrists.
Results
A total of 573 participants from 30 European countries were included in the study, of whom more than half (N = 312; 54.5%) received ECT training. Overall, ECPs had a positive attitude towards ECT, with the vast majority agreeing or strongly agreeing that ECT is an effective (N = 509; 88.8%) and safe (N = 464; 81.0%) treatment and disagreeing or strongly disagreeing that ECT was used as a form of control or punishment (N = 545; 95.1%). Those who had received ECT training during their psychiatry training were more likely to recommend ECT to their patients (p < 0.001, r = 0.34), and held more positive views on its safety (p < 0.001, r = 0.31) and effectiveness (p < 0.001, r = 0.33). Interest in further education about ECT was moderately high (modal rating on Likert scale: 4, agree), irrespective of prior training exposure.
Conclusions
ECT training is associated with more favorable perceptions of its safety and effectiveness among ECPs. There is a general willingness among ECPs to expand their knowledge and training on ECT, which could enhance patients’ access to this treatment.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-906e57a104a34fd79b44a1dd91376b0e |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0924-9338 1778-3585 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | European Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj-art-906e57a104a34fd79b44a1dd91376b0e2025-01-16T21:50:21ZengCambridge University PressEuropean Psychiatry0924-93381778-35852024-01-016710.1192/j.eurpsy.2024.1798Early career psychiatrists’ perceptions of and training experience in electroconvulsive therapy: A cross-sectional survey across EuropeCristiana Țăpoi0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2163-1149Laith Alexander1https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1297-6548Renato de Filippis2https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6928-1224Agorastos Agorastos3https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4801-4957Diogo Almeida4https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4525-6232Gautam Bhatia5Gamze Erzin6Martyna Ewa Gołębiewska7https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3820-487XEnita Metaj8https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4975-8739Sara Medved9https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8079-3079Krista Mieze10https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1167-7394Miloš Milutinović11Camille Noël12https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4262-2049Antonina Pushko13https://orcid.org/0009-0003-7847-4636David Gurrea Salas14https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4926-4387Alejandro Compaired Sanchez15Alina Wilkowska16Rick P. F. Wolthusen17https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8297-1115Mariana Pinto da Costa18https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5966-5723Department of General Psychiatry, Alexandru Obregia Clinical Psychiatry Hospital, Bucharest, RomaniaInstitute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UKPsychiatry Unit, Department of Health Sciences, University Magna Graecia of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, ItalyII. Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, GreeceDepartment of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Hospital de Loures, Loures, PortugalSouth London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UKDepartment of Psychiatry, Dışkapı Yıldırım Beyazıt Training and Research Hospital, University of Health Sciences, Ankara, Turkey Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, the NetherlandsDepartment of Developmental, Psychotic, and Geriatric Psychiatry, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, PolandCommunity Mental Health Center No. 2, Tirana, AlbaniaDepartment of Psychiatry and Psychological Medicine, University Hospital Centre Zagreb, Zagreb, CroatiaDepartment of Doctoral Studies, Riga Stradins University, Riga, LatviaUniversity Clinic of Psychiatry, Skopje, North MacedoniaDepartment of Psychiatry, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Saint-Pierre, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, BelgiumDepartment of Psychiatry, Narcology and Medical Psychology Ivano-Frankivsk National Medical University, Communal Non-Commercial Enterprise Precarpathian Regional Clinical Center for Mental Health of the Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Council, Ivano-Frankivsk, UkraineDepartment of Addictive Disorders, Psychiatric Services Aargau, Brugg, SwitzerlandDepartment of Psychiatry, Ramon y Cajal University Hospital, Madrid, SpainDepartment of Psychiatry, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, PolandDepartment of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA Division of Psychotic Disorders, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USAInstitute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar, University of Porto, Porto, PortugalAbstract Background Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a safe and effective treatment for several major psychiatric conditions, including treatment-resistant depression, mania, and schizophrenia; nevertheless, its use remains controversial. Despite its availability in some European countries, ECT is still rarely used in others. This study aims to investigate the experiences and attitudes of early career psychiatrists (ECPs) across Europe towards ECT and to examine how their exposure to ECT influences their perceptions. Methods In Europe, a cross-sectional survey was conducted among ECPs, including psychiatric trainees and recently fully qualified psychiatrists. Results A total of 573 participants from 30 European countries were included in the study, of whom more than half (N = 312; 54.5%) received ECT training. Overall, ECPs had a positive attitude towards ECT, with the vast majority agreeing or strongly agreeing that ECT is an effective (N = 509; 88.8%) and safe (N = 464; 81.0%) treatment and disagreeing or strongly disagreeing that ECT was used as a form of control or punishment (N = 545; 95.1%). Those who had received ECT training during their psychiatry training were more likely to recommend ECT to their patients (p < 0.001, r = 0.34), and held more positive views on its safety (p < 0.001, r = 0.31) and effectiveness (p < 0.001, r = 0.33). Interest in further education about ECT was moderately high (modal rating on Likert scale: 4, agree), irrespective of prior training exposure. Conclusions ECT training is associated with more favorable perceptions of its safety and effectiveness among ECPs. There is a general willingness among ECPs to expand their knowledge and training on ECT, which could enhance patients’ access to this treatment. https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S092493382401798X/type/journal_articlecross-sectional studieselectroconvulsive therapyelectroshockEuropepsychiatrytraining |
| spellingShingle | Cristiana Țăpoi Laith Alexander Renato de Filippis Agorastos Agorastos Diogo Almeida Gautam Bhatia Gamze Erzin Martyna Ewa Gołębiewska Enita Metaj Sara Medved Krista Mieze Miloš Milutinović Camille Noël Antonina Pushko David Gurrea Salas Alejandro Compaired Sanchez Alina Wilkowska Rick P. F. Wolthusen Mariana Pinto da Costa Early career psychiatrists’ perceptions of and training experience in electroconvulsive therapy: A cross-sectional survey across Europe European Psychiatry cross-sectional studies electroconvulsive therapy electroshock Europe psychiatry training |
| title | Early career psychiatrists’ perceptions of and training experience in electroconvulsive therapy: A cross-sectional survey across Europe |
| title_full | Early career psychiatrists’ perceptions of and training experience in electroconvulsive therapy: A cross-sectional survey across Europe |
| title_fullStr | Early career psychiatrists’ perceptions of and training experience in electroconvulsive therapy: A cross-sectional survey across Europe |
| title_full_unstemmed | Early career psychiatrists’ perceptions of and training experience in electroconvulsive therapy: A cross-sectional survey across Europe |
| title_short | Early career psychiatrists’ perceptions of and training experience in electroconvulsive therapy: A cross-sectional survey across Europe |
| title_sort | early career psychiatrists perceptions of and training experience in electroconvulsive therapy a cross sectional survey across europe |
| topic | cross-sectional studies electroconvulsive therapy electroshock Europe psychiatry training |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S092493382401798X/type/journal_article |
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