The Impact of COVID-19 on Electroconvulsive Therapy: A Multisite, Retrospective Study From the Clinical Alliance and Research in Electroconvulsive Therapy and Related Treatments Network

Elaine Kwan; Brandon Le; Colleen K. Loo; Vanessa Dong; Phern C. Tor; Don Davidson; Titus Mohan; Susan Waite; Grace Branjerdporn; Shanthi Sarma; Salam Hussain; Donel M. Martin

doi:10.1097/YCT.0000000000000800

The Impact of COVID-19 on Electroconvulsive Therapy: A Multisite, Retrospective Study From the Clinical Alliance and Research in Electroconvulsive Therapy and Related Treatments Network

Elaine Kwan, Brandon Le, Colleen K. Loo, Vanessa Dong, Phern C. Tor, Don Davidson, Titus Mohan, Susan Waite, Grace Branjerdporn, Shanthi Sarma, Salam Hussain, Donel M. Martin

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review

8 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Objectives

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to reported change in electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) services worldwide. However, minimal data have been published demonstrating tangible changes across multiple ECT centers. This article aimed to examine changes in ECT patients and ECT service delivery during the pandemic.

Methods

We retrospectively assessed data collected on ECT patients within the Clinical Alliance and Research in Electroconvulsive Therapy and Related Treatments (CARE) Network during a 3-month period starting at the first COVID-19 restrictions in 2020 and compared data with predicted values based on the corresponding 3-month period in 2019. Mixed-effects repeated-measures analyses examined differences in the predicted and actual number of acute ECT courses started and the total number of acute ECT treatments given in 2020. Sociodemographic, clinical, treatment factors, and ECT service delivery factors were compared for 2020 and 2019.

Results

Four Australian and 1 Singaporean site participated in the study. There were no significant differences between the predicted and actual number of acute ECT courses and total number of acute ECT treatments administered in 2020. During 2020, there were statistically significant increases in the proportion of patients requiring ECT under substitute consent and receiving ECT for urgent reasons compared with 2019.

Conclusions

This multisite empirical study is among the first that supports anecdotal reports of changes in the triaging and delivery of ECT during COVID-19. Results suggest that ECT was prioritized for the most severely ill patients. Further data assessing the impacts of COVID-19 on ECT are needed.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	45-51
Number of pages	7
Journal	Journal of ECT
Volume	38
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1097/YCT.0000000000000800
Publication status	Published - 1 Mar 2022
Externally published	Yes

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10.1097/YCT.0000000000000800

Cite this

Kwan, E., Le, B., Loo, C. K., Dong, V., Tor, P. C., Davidson, D., Mohan, T., Waite, S., Branjerdporn, G., Sarma, S., Hussain, S., & Martin, D. M. (2022). The Impact of COVID-19 on Electroconvulsive Therapy: A Multisite, Retrospective Study From the Clinical Alliance and Research in Electroconvulsive Therapy and Related Treatments Network. Journal of ECT, 38(1), 45-51. https://doi.org/10.1097/YCT.0000000000000800

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title = "The Impact of COVID-19 on Electroconvulsive Therapy: A Multisite, Retrospective Study From the Clinical Alliance and Research in Electroconvulsive Therapy and Related Treatments Network",

abstract = "Objectives The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to reported change in electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) services worldwide. However, minimal data have been published demonstrating tangible changes across multiple ECT centers. This article aimed to examine changes in ECT patients and ECT service delivery during the pandemic. Methods We retrospectively assessed data collected on ECT patients within the Clinical Alliance and Research in Electroconvulsive Therapy and Related Treatments (CARE) Network during a 3-month period starting at the first COVID-19 restrictions in 2020 and compared data with predicted values based on the corresponding 3-month period in 2019. Mixed-effects repeated-measures analyses examined differences in the predicted and actual number of acute ECT courses started and the total number of acute ECT treatments given in 2020. Sociodemographic, clinical, treatment factors, and ECT service delivery factors were compared for 2020 and 2019. ResultsFour Australian and 1 Singaporean site participated in the study. There were no significant differences between the predicted and actual number of acute ECT courses and total number of acute ECT treatments administered in 2020. During 2020, there were statistically significant increases in the proportion of patients requiring ECT under substitute consent and receiving ECT for urgent reasons compared with 2019. Conclusions This multisite empirical study is among the first that supports anecdotal reports of changes in the triaging and delivery of ECT during COVID-19. Results suggest that ECT was prioritized for the most severely ill patients. Further data assessing the impacts of COVID-19 on ECT are needed.",

author = "Elaine Kwan and Brandon Le and Loo, {Colleen K.} and Vanessa Dong and Tor, {Phern C.} and Don Davidson and Titus Mohan and Susan Waite and Grace Branjerdporn and Shanthi Sarma and Salam Hussain and Martin, {Donel M.}",

note = "Funding Information: E.K. declares honoraria from the Lundbeck Institute outside the submitted work. C.K.L. reports equipment support from Mecta for research. D.M.M. and V.D. were supported by a National Health and Medical Research grant awarded to C.L. (Grant No. 1195651). The other authors declare no conflict of interest. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.",

year = "2022",

month = mar,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1097/YCT.0000000000000800",

language = "English",

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Kwan, E, Le, B, Loo, CK, Dong, V, Tor, PC, Davidson, D, Mohan, T, Waite, S, Branjerdporn, G, Sarma, S, Hussain, S & Martin, DM 2022, 'The Impact of COVID-19 on Electroconvulsive Therapy: A Multisite, Retrospective Study From the Clinical Alliance and Research in Electroconvulsive Therapy and Related Treatments Network', Journal of ECT, vol. 38, no. 1, pp. 45-51. https://doi.org/10.1097/YCT.0000000000000800

The Impact of COVID-19 on Electroconvulsive Therapy: A Multisite, Retrospective Study From the Clinical Alliance and Research in Electroconvulsive Therapy and Related Treatments Network. / Kwan, Elaine; Le, Brandon; Loo, Colleen K. et al.
In: Journal of ECT, Vol. 38, No. 1, 01.03.2022, p. 45-51.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review

TY - JOUR

T1 - The Impact of COVID-19 on Electroconvulsive Therapy: A Multisite, Retrospective Study From the Clinical Alliance and Research in Electroconvulsive Therapy and Related Treatments Network

AU - Kwan, Elaine

AU - Le, Brandon

AU - Loo, Colleen K.

AU - Dong, Vanessa

AU - Tor, Phern C.

AU - Davidson, Don

AU - Mohan, Titus

AU - Waite, Susan

AU - Branjerdporn, Grace

AU - Sarma, Shanthi

AU - Hussain, Salam

AU - Martin, Donel M.

N1 - Funding Information: E.K. declares honoraria from the Lundbeck Institute outside the submitted work. C.K.L. reports equipment support from Mecta for research. D.M.M. and V.D. were supported by a National Health and Medical Research grant awarded to C.L. (Grant No. 1195651). The other authors declare no conflict of interest. Publisher Copyright: © Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

PY - 2022/3/1

Y1 - 2022/3/1

N2 - Objectives The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to reported change in electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) services worldwide. However, minimal data have been published demonstrating tangible changes across multiple ECT centers. This article aimed to examine changes in ECT patients and ECT service delivery during the pandemic. Methods We retrospectively assessed data collected on ECT patients within the Clinical Alliance and Research in Electroconvulsive Therapy and Related Treatments (CARE) Network during a 3-month period starting at the first COVID-19 restrictions in 2020 and compared data with predicted values based on the corresponding 3-month period in 2019. Mixed-effects repeated-measures analyses examined differences in the predicted and actual number of acute ECT courses started and the total number of acute ECT treatments given in 2020. Sociodemographic, clinical, treatment factors, and ECT service delivery factors were compared for 2020 and 2019. ResultsFour Australian and 1 Singaporean site participated in the study. There were no significant differences between the predicted and actual number of acute ECT courses and total number of acute ECT treatments administered in 2020. During 2020, there were statistically significant increases in the proportion of patients requiring ECT under substitute consent and receiving ECT for urgent reasons compared with 2019. Conclusions This multisite empirical study is among the first that supports anecdotal reports of changes in the triaging and delivery of ECT during COVID-19. Results suggest that ECT was prioritized for the most severely ill patients. Further data assessing the impacts of COVID-19 on ECT are needed.

AB - Objectives The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to reported change in electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) services worldwide. However, minimal data have been published demonstrating tangible changes across multiple ECT centers. This article aimed to examine changes in ECT patients and ECT service delivery during the pandemic. Methods We retrospectively assessed data collected on ECT patients within the Clinical Alliance and Research in Electroconvulsive Therapy and Related Treatments (CARE) Network during a 3-month period starting at the first COVID-19 restrictions in 2020 and compared data with predicted values based on the corresponding 3-month period in 2019. Mixed-effects repeated-measures analyses examined differences in the predicted and actual number of acute ECT courses started and the total number of acute ECT treatments given in 2020. Sociodemographic, clinical, treatment factors, and ECT service delivery factors were compared for 2020 and 2019. ResultsFour Australian and 1 Singaporean site participated in the study. There were no significant differences between the predicted and actual number of acute ECT courses and total number of acute ECT treatments administered in 2020. During 2020, there were statistically significant increases in the proportion of patients requiring ECT under substitute consent and receiving ECT for urgent reasons compared with 2019. Conclusions This multisite empirical study is among the first that supports anecdotal reports of changes in the triaging and delivery of ECT during COVID-19. Results suggest that ECT was prioritized for the most severely ill patients. Further data assessing the impacts of COVID-19 on ECT are needed.

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U2 - 10.1097/YCT.0000000000000800

DO - 10.1097/YCT.0000000000000800

M3 - Article

SN - 1533-4112

VL - 38

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JO - Journal of ECT

JF - Journal of ECT

IS - 1

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The Impact of COVID-19 on Electroconvulsive Therapy: A Multisite, Retrospective Study From the Clinical Alliance and Research in Electroconvulsive Therapy and Related Treatments Network

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