An audit of ECT in England 2011-2015: Usage, demographics, and adherence to guidelines and legislation
Article
Read, J., Harrop, Christopher, Geekie, Jim and Renton, Julia 2018. An audit of ECT in England 2011-2015: Usage, demographics, and adherence to guidelines and legislation. Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice. 91 (3), pp. 263-277. https://doi.org/10.1111/papt.12160
Authors | Read, J., Harrop, Christopher, Geekie, Jim and Renton, Julia |
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Abstract | Objectives Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) continues to be used in England, but without comprehensive national auditing. Therefore, information was gathered on usage, demographics, consent, and adherence to the guidelines of the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (N.I.C.E.) and to the Mental Health Act. Freedom of Information Act requests were sent to 56 National Health Service Trusts. Thirty-two trusts provided some usable data. Only 10 were able to report how many people received psychological therapy prior to ECT in accordance with N.I.C.E. recommendations, with figures ranging from 0% to 100%. The number of people currently receiving ECT in England annually is between 2,100 and 2,700, and falling. There was a 12-fold difference between the Trusts with the highest and lowest usage rates per capita. Most recipients are still women (66%) and over 60 (56%). More than a third (39%) is given without consent, with 30% of Trusts not adhering to mental health legislation concerning second opinions. At least 44% were not using validated measures of efficacy, and at least 33% failed to do so for adverse effects. Only four provided any actual data for positive outcomes or adverse effects. None provided any data on efficacy beyond the end of treatment. National audits should be reinstated. Independent, objective monitoring of adverse effects is urgently required. An investigation into why ECT is still administered excessively to older people and women seems long overdue. Mental health staff should seek to ensure that all depressed people in their service are offered evidence-based psychological treatments before being offered E.C.T. |
Journal | Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice |
Journal citation | 91 (3), pp. 263-277 |
ISSN | 14760835 |
Year | 2018 |
Publisher | Wiley |
Accepted author manuscript | License |
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.1111/papt.12160 |
Web address (URL) | https://doi.org/10.1111/papt.12160 |
Publication dates | |
Online | 20 Oct 2017 |
03 Sep 2018 | |
Publication process dates | |
Deposited | 22 Feb 2018 |
Copyright information | © 2017 The British Psychological Society. This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Read, et. al., An audit of ECT in England 2011-2015: Usage, demographics, and adherence to guidelines and legislation’, Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice, 91 (3), pp.263 - 277. which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1111/papt.12160. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving. |
https://repository.uel.ac.uk/item/846x7
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Accepted author manuscript
ECT AUDIT 2017 PaPTRaP sept2017 Read et al Accepted manuscript.pdf | ||
License: Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions |
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