Challenging stigma and attitudes towards ECT via an educational video

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Medical Education

Background:

• Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is an effective mental illness treatment but faces negative attitudes and stigma.
• Improving health professional attitudes towards ECT is crucial for reducing stigma and increasing patient acceptance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate attitude changes in nursing graduates and medical students towards ECT after watching an educational video.
• To compare health professional attitudes with those of the general community.

Main Methods:

• An educational video on ECT was co-designed with consumers and the Lived Experience (Peer) Workforce.
• Nursing graduates and medical students completed the ECT Attitude Questionnaire (EAQ) pre- and post-video.
• Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics and paired/one-sample t-tests.

Main Results:

• Attitudes towards ECT significantly improved post-video, with positive responses increasing from 67.09% to 75.72%.
• Participants demonstrated more positive attitudes towards ECT than the general public, both before and after the intervention.
• The educational video intervention effectively improved attitudes among nursing graduates and medical students.

Conclusions:

• The co-designed educational video is an effective tool for improving nursing graduate and medical student attitudes towards ECT.
• Further research is needed to explore the video's potential in reducing stigma for consumers and carers.
• The findings highlight the importance of targeted educational interventions in mental health professional training.