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COVID-19 and ECT - a Victorian perspective
Karuppiah Jagadheesan1,2, Frances Walker1, Vijay Danivas1
1North West Area Mental Health Service, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Summary
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) can be safely administered during COVID-19 lockdowns with specific operational strategies. However, lockdowns led to fewer patients and treatments, particularly affecting older adults.
Area of Science:
- Clinical Psychiatry
- Infectious Disease Control
Background:
- The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated rapid adaptation of healthcare services, including electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).
- Maintaining safe and effective treatment delivery during public health emergencies is crucial for mental health care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To detail the operational strategies employed for safe electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) practice during the COVID-19 lockdown.
- To evaluate the impact of lockdown measures and implemented strategies on patient characteristics receiving ECT.
Main Methods:
- Summarized operational strategies implemented at the Broadmeadows ECT suite.
- Compared patient characteristics for ECT during the COVID-19 lockdown period (March-September 2020) against a historical comparison period (March-September 2019).
Main Results:
- No COVID-19 infections were reported among mental health staff or patients, indicating successful safety measures.
- A significant reduction in both the number of patients (23.9%) and ECT treatments (29.4%) was observed during the lockdown.
- This decrease in ECT utilization was more pronounced in elderly patients.
Conclusions:
- Implementing robust safety protocols enables the continued provision of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) even during high community transmission of COVID-19.
- The study highlights the need for continued access to ECT while managing pandemic-related operational challenges.
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