NCT05633368

Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic on Patients Receiving Continuation or Maintenance Electroconvulsive Therapy

Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic on Patients With Unipolar Depressive Disorder: Effects of Discontinuing Continuation or Maintenance Electroconvulsive Therapy

• Status: Completed
• Phase: —
• Study type: Observational
• Enrollment: 47 (actual)
• Sponsor: University Hospital, Ghent · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: —
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

Electroconvulsive therapy is a safe and effective therapeutic strategy in patients with treatment resistant depression. As relapse after successful ECT is significant even with adequate pharmacological strategies, continuation (up to 6 months after completion of index-ECT) or maintenance ECT (more than 6 months after index-ECT) is often necessary to maintain remission. During the current Covid-19 pandemic hospitals redirected resources and closed or significantly diminished ECT services. In this study we aim to assess the impact of discontinuing maintenance electroconvulsive therapy in patients diagnosed with unipolar depressive disorder.

Detailed description

During the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in Belgium all patients receiving continuation or maintenance electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) for major depressive disorder in two ECT centers in Belgium will be included. Due to differences in Covid-19 infection rates and hospital management decisions, one ECT-service temporarily halted all electroconvulsive treatments, where as the other ECT-service continued continuation and maintenance treatments. Depressive symptomatology and relapse rates will be assessed during the diminished accessibility of electroconvulsive treatment.

Conditions

• Electroconvulsive Therapy
• Major Depressive Disorder
• Covid-19

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Questionnaires	Participants will be contacted every three weeks to assess depressive symptomatology and possible relapse. * Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) * Clinical Global Impression (CGI) * Scaling question regarding depressive symptomatology

Timeline

• Start date: 2020-03-31
• Primary completion: 2020-06-19
• Completion: 2020-06-19
• First posted: 2022-12-01
• Last updated: 2022-12-01

Locations

2 sites across 1 country: Belgium