Changes in private sector electroconvulsive treatment in Australia

This paper reports on changes, over time and between states, in the use of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in the private psychiatric sector in Australia between 1984 and 2004.

Data for ECT services, and all specialist psychiatry services provided under the Medicare system, have been analysed in absolute numbers and as utilization rates.

Changes in the use of ECT over time are different from other services provided by private psychiatrists. As in other countries, the use of ECT initially declined in period studied but has increased in recent years. In addition, there is a clear pattern of differential use of ECT between the states and territories.

This descriptive study cannot 'explain' the results obtained: other data, incorporated into an explanatory model using regression analysis, are needed to determine the factors underlying the utilization patterns obtained in this study. Thus, further work is needed. Furthermore, it is important to analyse data at a lower level of geographical aggregation than that of the state/territory: this (state/territory) aggregation conceals differences in utilization between metropolitan, minor city, rural and remote regions of the country.