Relapse after abrupt discontinuation of maintenance electroconvulsive therapy during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Acta Psychiatr Scand
; 144(3): 230-237, 2021 09.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1258879
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE:
Maintenance electroconvulsive therapy (M-ECT) is considered an effective relapse prevention strategy in severe mood and psychotic disorders. How long M-ECT should be continued, and what the outcome is after its discontinuation has not been adequately studied. In our tertiary psychiatric hospital, M-ECT treatments were suspended at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. We aimed to determine the 6-month relapse rate and time to relapse after abrupt discontinuation of M-ECT and to assess the impact of patient and treatment characteristics on the risk of relapse.METHODS:
Eighty-one patients whose M-ECT was discontinued abruptly were followed up prospectively for 6 months, or until relapse (i.e., hospital admission, restart of ECT, change of pharmacotherapy, or suicide (attempt)). We used multivariable Cox proportional hazards models to assess the impact of patient and treatment characteristics on the risk of relapse.RESULTS:
Thirty-six patients (44.44%) relapsed within 6 months following abrupt discontinuation of M-ECT. A greater number of previous acute ECT courses, a diagnosis of psychotic disorder (compared with major depressive disorder or bipolar disorder), and a shorter interval between M-ECT treatments at the time of discontinuation were significantly associated with increased risk of relapse.CONCLUSION:
Almost half of the patients relapsed, similar to the relapse rate after a successful acute course of ECT. Patients with a shorter interval between M-ECT treatments at the time of discontinuation seem to be at increased risk, as well as patients with a diagnosis of psychotic disorder, compared to patients with mood disorders.Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Depressive Disorder, Major
/
Electroconvulsive Therapy
/
COVID-19
Type of study:
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
Limits:
Humans
Language:
English
Journal:
Acta Psychiatr Scand
Year:
2021
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Acps.13334
Similar
MEDLINE
...
LILACS
LIS