Knowledge and Attitudes toward Electroconvulsive Therapy among the Nurses in community, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, Thailand

Abstract

Objective

: To determine the knowledge and attitudes of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) among psychiatric nurses, general nurses and community health promoting hospital staffs in Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, Thailand.

Method :

Descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted. Sixty nurses were recruited. Instrument was self-reported questionnaire about the knowledge and attitudes towards electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).

Results :

Forty eight nurses (80%) had heard about ECT. The sources of knowledge included attending the class (61.7%), listening experience of the psychiatrist / psychologist (18.3%), and research / medical journals / website (13.3%). Psychiatric and general nurses had more knowledge than community health promoting hospital staff. Forty three (71.7%) nurses felt anxious, fear, or uncomfortable about ECT treatment for themselves, or if close relatives had treated with ECT. The reasons to feel uncomfortable included paticipants did not know what will happen from ECT (30%), fear of pain (26.7%), and concerns with brain injury (25%). All participants knew that there were more other alternative treatments to relieve severe depressive symptoms than the ECT. Community health promoting hospital staff were more likely to rely on religions practice, mental supported by monks and alternative medicine or natural treatment than psychiatric and general nurses.

Conclusion :

Among the psychiatric nurses, general nurses, and community health promoting hospital staff, most of them had knowledge about ECT. However, they felt anxious, fear, or uncomfortable about ECT treatment for themselves, or if close relatives be treated with ECT. Psychiatric and general nurses had more knowledge about ECT than community health promoting hospital staff and also were lesser feeling of embarrassment, fear, and anxiety.