Training to Administer Electroconvulsive Therapy: A Survey of Attitudes and Experiences

Recent Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists guidelines regarding Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) call for “specific training in both the practical and theoretical aspects of ECT”, involving provision of an “educational programme” by centres where ECT is administered, and “supervised administration of ECT prior to administering this treatment alone”. This survey was undertaken to elicit the attitudes and experiences of current trainees in relation to training to administer ECT. It was found that ECT is given entirely by the registrars, that consultants are rarely or never present, and in most centres, training typically consists of registrars being supervised once or twice by another registrar, and thereafter administering ECT alone. Twenty percent of those who had given ECT, however, reported not being supervised the first time they administered it. Most trainees indicated limited theoretical teaching in this area, and almost none were aware of a formal training scheme at their respective hospitals. The College guidelines, as stated, address these issues, and priority should be given to their implementation.