Attitudes and Knowledge of Electroconvulsive Therapy: An Exploration of Medical Students' Perspectives

To explore knowledge and attitudes of medical students before and after exposure to a technology-enhanced learning and teaching (TELT) session about electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).

Adequate knowledge of and attitudes toward ECT is essential for medical students. However, the impact of teaching on knowledge and attitudes is infrequently studied.

Fourth- and fifth year medical students at the University of Glasgow were provided with an online questionnaire before and after engaging in a remote TELT session, led by a consultant psychiatrist with expertise in ECT. The online teaching session used resources developed by a multidisciplinary team who specialize in ECT. The teaching session lasted around 1 hour. The questionnaire contained 3 sections: baseline demographics, knowledge of ECT, and attitudes toward ECT. Changes in scores were analyzed.

Sixty-seven students completed the teaching session. Response rate to the precourse questionnaire was 68.7% (n = 46), and the postcourse questionnaire was 44.8% (n = 30). Prior to engaging with the learning materials, 9 students reported no knowledge of ECT and a third believed that ECT did not cause a seizure. In general, students who had personal experience of mental illness (friend, relative, or self) had more positive attitudes toward ECT and higher knowledge scores. In general, an increase in knowledge and attitude scores was found in the postcourse questionnaire.

Exposing medical students to a TELT session focused on ECT during their psychiatric placement appeared to improve knowledge and attitudes surrounding ECT.