Impact of COVID-19 on electroconvulsive therapy practice across Canadian provinces during the first wave of the pandemic.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a procedural treatment that is potentially life-saving for some patients with severe psychiatric illness. At the start of the global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, ECT practice was remarkably disrupted, putting vulnerable individuals at increased risk of symptom exacerbation and death by suicide. This study aimed to capture the self-reported experiences of psychiatrists based at healthcare facilities across Canadian provinces who were delivering ECT treatments during the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic (i.e., from mid-March 2020 to mid-May 2020).

Methods

A multidisciplinary team of experts developed a survey focusing on five domains: ECT unit operations, decision-making, hospital resources, ECT procedure, and

SUBMITTER: Demchenko I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10170445 | biostudies-literature | 2023 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature