Characteristics of patients who receive electroconvulsive therapy

Case records of all non-forensic psychiatric admissions (n = 5,729), over a three year period, to all the inpatient psychiatric facilities, within one geographic area were studied on a number of demographic, clinical, and treatment characteristics. Patients who had received E.C.T. were compared with those who did not receive tis treatment. The results showed that a high proportion (21%) had received E.C.T. In comparison with patients not receiving E.C.T., E.C.T. recipients were significantly older, more often female, had greater number of previous admissions, greater incidence of violent behaviour, and longer stays in hospital. E.C.T. patients did not differ from others on social class, education, and marital status, nor was E.C.T. prescribed more often to patients who had demonstrated suicidal behaviour, even if they had a diagnosis of depression. E.C.T. and non E.C.T. patients received an equal number of psychotropic drugs.