Attitudes towards electroconvulsive therapy among Hungarian psychiatrists

Participants of a postgraduate biologic psychiatric course were surveyed about their attitudes toward electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) with a self-administered questionnaire. Among the respondents, 65 persons were specialists in psychiatry, 32% of whom would not consider using ECT even if they were in a psychotic depressive state. According to the bias factor, which has been calculated based on the answers to the 11 questions regarding attitudes, those psychiatrists who worked in inpatient care showed a less negative attitude. Among the items concerning knowledge of ECT, incorrect answers were most frequent to questions about myocardial infarction as a contraindication, and about the identity of the person who had pioneered this treatment. The negative attitude of Hungarian psychiatrists, especially of those who work in outpatient care, may have an important role in the decrease of the application of ECT in the past decade in Hungary.