Acceptability, attitudes and knowledge towards Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) among psychiatrists in France

Non-invasive brain stimulation techniques are becoming a part of psychiatrists' therapeutic arsenal. Proof of TMS effectiveness and its indications are becoming clearer. While international recommendations exist, and many countries have already recognized the use of these techniques, the French situation is peculiar since no recommendation has been published by the High Authority of Health. Consequently, those techniques are not reimbursed by the healthcare service, few practitioners are trained, some are criticized for using it, and practices remain very heterogeneous. It is therefore important to investigate what slows down the development of these techniques. The objective of this study was to determine the acceptability of TMS by psychiatrists and to analyze the factors influencing it.

A sample of psychiatrists was recruited in order to complete an online quantitative acceptability study using a four variable domain model (utility, intention of use, facility, risk) allowing an acceptability score calculation.

Four hundreds and seventy-six observations were included in the analysis. Regarding the main objective, the overall TMS acceptability score was high for 47.2% of psychiatrists, average for 40.6% and low for 12.1% of them. The main factors influencing it were theoretical orientation (psychoanalytic vs neurobiological) and training level (only one in three psychiatrists acknowledge having been trained in this technique).

The majority of practitioners consider TMS to be a credible alternative to current therapies, especially for depressive disorders. Yet psychiatrists are uninformed and poorly trained in these techniques and report very clearly a desire for more training and information. Our study highlights a significant lack of training that negatively impacts the accessibility of these techniques.