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Published on: April 11, 2019
The experience of living after ECT: a qualitative meta-synthesis
K Wells1, N Hancock1, A Honey1
1Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
Background:
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a controversial treatment. Research has predominantly focused on clinician assessment of short-term efficacy and, occasionally, on participant experiences of the treatment itself. While service user accounts of the long-term impacts of ECT are reported, they are dispersed throughout the literature and typically tangential to studie's main foci.
Aim:
The aim of this study was to synthesise service-user accounts, within peer-reviewed literature, of long-term impacts of ECT in their daily lives.
Methods:
A qualitative meta-synthesis was conducted. A systematic literature search identified qualitative articles meeting the inclusion criteria. Results sections of eligible papers were analysed thematically.
Results:
From 16 eligible papers, the review identified 11 long-term impacts, four social influences and five strategies that people employed to navigate these long-term impacts.
Conclusion:
Limited research has examined long-term experiences of ECT from service-user perspectives. These lived experience perspectives are required to facilitate peer-to-peer learning and assist future service delivery to align with needs of people living with long-term ECT impacts.
