Attitudes Towards ECT: A Survey of Polish Mental Health Professionals

Although the efficacy of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has been well established, the utilization rate of ECT has decreased in Poland in recent years. One of the main reasons could be the negative attitude towards ECT in the community and by mental health professionals. The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge about and attitudes toward ECT in Polish mental health professionals including psychiatrists and non-physicians: nurses, psychologists, social workers.

Psychiatrists and other mental health professionals in two large Polish hospitals were approached to participate in the survey by completing a 28-item questionnaire. The specific hospitals have been selected due to the fact that they were located in the same province of Poland (Mazowsze), had similar catchment area and profile, provided similar mental health services with only one exception; one offered ECT while the other did not. Of the 185 questionnaires that had been distributed, 165 were completed yielding a response rate of 89.19%. The study population consists of 85 psychiatrists and trainees and 80 non-physicians.

Psychiatrists did not differ from other mental health professionals with respect to the knowledge and attitudes toward ECT. However, there were significant differences in the attitude (9.1±3.8 vs 7.1±3.3; p<0.001) and knowledge (5.9±3.8 vs 2.8±4.1; p<0.001) scores between those professionals, who have ever worked in a psychiatric ward where they could observe ECT sessions and those who have not had such an opportunity.

Frequent witnessing of ECT sessions seems to be the most effective educational intervention to change negative attitudes towards ECT.