ObjectivesTo assess the knowledge of and attitudes towards ECT among psychiatrists and family physicians in Saudi Arabia.MethodsThe study is quantitative observational cross-sectional with a convenient sample that included psychiatrists and… Click to show full abstract
ObjectivesTo assess the knowledge of and attitudes towards ECT among psychiatrists and family physicians in Saudi Arabia.MethodsThe study is quantitative observational cross-sectional with a convenient sample that included psychiatrists and family physicians (including residents) in Saudi Arabia.ResultsOf the 434 questionnaires emailed, a total of 126 returned completed questionnaires (29% response rate). The mean age of respondents was 35 years old. Psychiatrists accounted for 68.3%. The majority were Saudis (95.2%) and male (70.6%). Around half were consultants and about two-thirds (62.7%) had worked in a facility that used ECT. Psychiatrists showed better knowledge than family physicians in their answers, with a mean total knowledge scoring of 8.12 (±1.25) out of 10 and 6.15 (±1.25), respectively (P < 0.0001). Among psychiatrists, 87% thought that ECT required general anesthesia, while 35% of family physicians believed so (P < 0.0001). Other items of ECT knowledge are discussed. Psychiatrists displayed a better attitude towards ECT than family physicians in all answers, with a mean score of 9.54 (±1.16) and 7.85 (±2.39), respectively (P < 0.0001).ConclusionsPsychiatrists scored better than family physicians in both knowledge and attitude regarding ECT.
               
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