Preliminary Assessment of Pre-Electroconvulsive Therapy Evaluation Practices in European Countries: The Need for Guidelines.

Objectives: Pre-electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) evaluation is an essential part of ECT preparation, a standard treatment in the psychiatric field. However, no routine pre-ECT evaluation has been published so far. This preliminary study aimed to explore different practices in pre-ECT evaluation across European countries.

Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on provision of electroconvulsive therapy.

Aims And Method: COVID-19 has had a heavy impact on healthcare provision worldwide, including delivery of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). A survey was completed in the UK and Republic of Ireland in April and July 2020 by 95 and 89 ECT clinics respectively.

Results: In April 2020, 53% of the clinics provided only emergency treatment and 24% had closed.