[Impact of an educational video on the representations of electroconvulsive therapy among psychiatrists in Hauts-de-France and Occitanie]

Abstract

Introduction: Despite its effectiveness and good tolerance, electro-convulsive therapy (ECT) is under-used in current clinical practice probably because of stigma and the negative image of this treatment. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of an educational video on the representations of ECT among psychiatrists and psychiatric residents in the North and in Occitanie districts of France.

Method: We evaluated the representations of ECT through the Questionnaire on Attitudes and Knowledge of ECT (QuAKE) before (T0) and after (T1) viewing a short educational video. Scores at T0 and T1 were compared with a paired t-test. Factors associated with the improvement of the representations were investigated using a logistic regression model.

Results: In all, 195 responses were obtained. The QuAKE score at T1 was significantly better than at T0 (29.4 at T1 vs. 31.5 at T0, P<0.001). The more negative the representations were at T0, the higher the probability of a decrease in the score at T1 (OR=1.07 [1.02-1.13], P=0.003).

Discussion: Our study showed a beneficial effect of a short educational video on psychiatrists' representations of ECT. The wide use of this type of media, allowing information and destigmatization, could considerably optimize access to ECT for patients.

Keywords: ECT; Medical education; Pédagogie; Stigma; Stigmatisation; Électro-convulsivothérapie (ECT).