The perception of Romanian mental health professionals on electroconvulsive therapy

TL;DR

This study explores how Romanian mental health professionals view electroconvulsive therapy and aims to reduce the stigma around it.

Contribution

It provides insights into professionals' perceptions of electroconvulsive therapy in Romania to inform anti-stigma initiatives.

Findings

Electroconvulsive therapy remains an important treatment for psychiatric patients despite being stigmatized.

The study highlights the need for information programs to reduce stigma and improve public perception.

Professional perceptions can guide efforts to promote the therapeutic benefits of electroconvulsive therapy.

Abstract

The journey for the electroconvulsive therapy began in 1938, when convulsive seizures induced by electrical stimulus were used, for the first time, in the therapy of patients diagnosed with Schizophrenia. Over the time, this therapy remains an important one, due to its applicability and necessity in the therapeutic management of patients with psychiatric pathology.

Electroconvulsive therapy has evolved as a technique, nowadays being applied under induced intravenous anesthesia with the administration of oxygen on the mask, and from 2001, the sinus electrical stimulus has been replaced by the one in the form of a short pulse, upon the recommendation of professional organizations, in order to increase its therapeutic effectiveness. However, this form of therapy continues to be stigmatized, largely due to the way it is presented in the mass media. The objective of this work was to analyze how mental health professionals perceive electroconvulsive therapy.

We conducted a study in which we used a questionnaire applied to the Romanian professionals in the field of mental health.

The results were analyzed in accordance with the objective of the study.

Through this analysis we wanted to understand how electroconvulsive therapy is seen through the eyes of mental health professionals and to identify those aspects that can help us in carrying out information programs, with a major impact on mental health, in order to reduce stigma forasmuch the therapeutic benefits of electroconvulsive therapy outweigh the possible risks.

None Declared