ECT: Knowledge and attitude among patients and their relatives

BACKGROUND: It is believed that people lack sound knowledge and appropriate attitude towards electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). However, very little systematic research has gone into this area. AIM: To examine the knowledge and attitude of patients and their relatives towards ECT. METHODS: A 16-item questionnaire with satisfactory face validity and content validity was constructed and translated into Hindi. It was then administered to 89 patients and 83 relatives attending the psychiatry services in a major hospital in north India. RESULTS: More than 65% of the respondents in both the groups—patients as well as relatives—gave correct responses such as ECT is life saving, many times it causes temporary but not permanent memory impairment and that ECT is not a non-scientific treatment. There was non-significant disagreement between the two groups. CONCLUSION: The study is a preliminary exploratory one and is likely to give direction for further research with refined methodology.