Patient satisfaction with electroconvulsive therapy

To determine whether patients who have electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) are satisfied with their treatment and demonstrate more favorable attitudes about ECT compared with controls.

We developed a 44-item survey measuring ECT treatment satisfaction and attitudes. The survey was administered to 24 psychiatric inpatients near the end of ECT treatment and 2 weeks later. A modified survey was administered to 24 outpatient controls who had never received ECT and who were recruited from a psychiatry clinic waiting room.

Patients who received ECT had positive attitudes about it. For example, 21 (91%) of 24 patient respondents endorsed the statement, "I am glad that I received ECT." Attitude score was significantly higher for the ECT group compared with controls. A higher degree of satisfaction was associated with a higher level of education and younger age.

Patients who received ECT were satisfied with their treatment and had more favorable attitudes about it than patients who did not receive this treatment.