Patients' Views on Electroconvulsive Therapy on Completion of a Course of Treatment

Patients' attitudes towards electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) on their completion of a course of treatment were studied using a semi-structured questionnaire. Twenty-six patients were seen before the junior doctors were trained in ECT administration and 28 patients afterwards. Most patients' attitudes were favourable, although very few fully understood the treatment. Training the junior doctors had no effect on patients' attitudes, but was associated with a shorter mean course length. ECT was acceptable to most patients who received it.