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Practice of electroconvulsive therapy at the research and training hospital in Turkey

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Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objective

We sought to obtain an overview of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) practice in Bakirkoy Research and Training Hospital for Psychiatric and Neurological Diseases, which is the biggest hospital for psychiatry in Turkey.

Method

From 1st January 2006 to 30th June 2007, a form enquiring about evaluation of ECT was filled retrospectively.

Results

The total number of patients, admitted for psychiatry during the survey period was 265,283. A total of 1,531 patients (12.4% among inpatients and 0.58% in all psychiatric admissions) received 13,618 sessions (including multiple hospitalizations) of ECT from 12,341 psychiatric inpatients during the survey period. Ninety-eight patients had multiple hospitalizations. The male-to-female ratio was 1.26–1. Patients with bipolar affective disorder, current episode manic with or without psychotic symptoms received ECT most frequently (30.3%), followed by patients with schizophrenia (29.5%), severe depressive episode with or without psychotic symptoms (include bipolar affective disorder current episode severe depression) (15.2%), other non-organic psychotic disorders (14.4%), schizoaffective disorders (6.3%), mental and behavioral disorders due to psychoactive substance abuse with psychotic disorders (3.5%) and catatonic schizophrenia (0.7%). Patients who received ECT were in age group of 25–44 years (64.7%), followed by 45–64 years (17.7%), 18–24 years (15.4%), 65 years and older (1.4%), and younger than 18 years (0.8%). All patients received modified ECT. There were no ECT-related deaths during the survey.

Conclusion

The rate of ECT among all psychiatric inpatients during the survey period was 12.4%. The majority of patients who received ECT were diagnosed with bipolar affective disorder-current episode manic and schizophrenia. ECT training programs for psychiatry residents and specialists should be planned, and conducted systematically.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Bakirkoy Research and Training Hospital for Psychiatric and Neurological Diseases, Istanbul, Turkey

    Omer Saatcioglu MD (Dr.) & Nesrin B. Tomruk MD

  2. Atakoy, 9. Kısım, A5-A Blok Kat 12, Daire:61, 34750, İstanbul, Turkey

    Omer Saatcioglu MD (Dr.)

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  1. Omer Saatcioglu MD
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  2. Nesrin B. Tomruk MD
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Correspondence to Omer Saatcioglu MD.

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Saatcioglu, O., Tomruk, N.B. Practice of electroconvulsive therapy at the research and training hospital in Turkey. Soc Psychiat Epidemiol 43, 673–677 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-008-0351-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-008-0351-z

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