Authors :
Addo FM; Adjaottor ES; Amoah C; Asare J; Appiah F; Amankwaah GB
Volume/Issue :
Volume 6 - 2021, Issue 7 - July
Google Scholar :
http://bitly.ws/9nMw
Scribd :
https://bit.ly/2VRXMtp
Abstract :
The impact of ECT on the duration of
hospitalisation of patients at the Psychiatric directorate
in the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), in
Kumasi-Ghana, has not been investigated yet, although
the available evidence on the speed and effectiveness of
ECT in treating severe mental illnesses like Major
Depressive Disorder (MDD), Bipolar Affective Disorder
(BAD) and Schizophrenia has been documented
extensively globally.
To investigate the impact of ECT treatment on the
mean length of hospitalisation of patients treated with it
compared to those who were not, at the Psychiatric
directorate of KATH with the aim of offering evidencedbased clinical advice to the managers, practitioners,
patients and their carers on the therapy.
Using archival research method, data on patients
treated at the Psychiatric directorate of KATH, from 1st
July 2016 to 30th June 2017 when ECT was part of the
treatments offered in the unit (The ECT group) and 1
st
July 2018 to 30th June 2019 when no ECT treatment was
not available (No ECT group), were extracted from their
clinical records, analysed and compared with emphasis
on the mean duration of hospitalization for each group.
The same comparison was done for their diagnostic
subgroups.
ECT treated patients had a longer mean length of
hospitalisation compared to non-ECT treated patients.
ECT treated Schizophrenia patients had a significantly
longer mean length of hospitalisation but ECT treated
Postpartum psychosis patients had an insignificant
longer mean length of hospitalisation with p-Values at
the 5% level. ECT had no impact on the mean length of
hospitalisation for BAD patients.
ECT treated depressed patients had an
insignificant shorter mean length of hospitalisation at the
5% level.
Patients treated with ECT are more likely to be
hospitalised longer than their counterparts who are
treated with other interventions. The impact, depending
on diagnoses, is variable. Clinicians must consider
recommending ECT earlier to who might need it in
order not to prolong their period of hospitalization.
Keywords :
Electroconvulsive Therapy, Severe Mental Disorders, Duration of Hospitalisation, Pharmacotherapy, Treatment Resistance
The impact of ECT on the duration of
hospitalisation of patients at the Psychiatric directorate
in the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), in
Kumasi-Ghana, has not been investigated yet, although
the available evidence on the speed and effectiveness of
ECT in treating severe mental illnesses like Major
Depressive Disorder (MDD), Bipolar Affective Disorder
(BAD) and Schizophrenia has been documented
extensively globally.
To investigate the impact of ECT treatment on the
mean length of hospitalisation of patients treated with it
compared to those who were not, at the Psychiatric
directorate of KATH with the aim of offering evidencedbased clinical advice to the managers, practitioners,
patients and their carers on the therapy.
Using archival research method, data on patients
treated at the Psychiatric directorate of KATH, from 1st
July 2016 to 30th June 2017 when ECT was part of the
treatments offered in the unit (The ECT group) and 1
st
July 2018 to 30th June 2019 when no ECT treatment was
not available (No ECT group), were extracted from their
clinical records, analysed and compared with emphasis
on the mean duration of hospitalization for each group.
The same comparison was done for their diagnostic
subgroups.
ECT treated patients had a longer mean length of
hospitalisation compared to non-ECT treated patients.
ECT treated Schizophrenia patients had a significantly
longer mean length of hospitalisation but ECT treated
Postpartum psychosis patients had an insignificant
longer mean length of hospitalisation with p-Values at
the 5% level. ECT had no impact on the mean length of
hospitalisation for BAD patients.
ECT treated depressed patients had an
insignificant shorter mean length of hospitalisation at the
5% level.
Patients treated with ECT are more likely to be
hospitalised longer than their counterparts who are
treated with other interventions. The impact, depending
on diagnoses, is variable. Clinicians must consider
recommending ECT earlier to who might need it in
order not to prolong their period of hospitalization.
Keywords :
Electroconvulsive Therapy, Severe Mental Disorders, Duration of Hospitalisation, Pharmacotherapy, Treatment Resistance
