Abstract
Purpose of the study. The aim of this study was to analyze the effectiveness of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) for treatment-resistant depression, based on the experience of the Department of Adult Psychiatry, Poznan University of Medical Sciences.
Method. The study included 91 patients with treatment-resistant depression to treated with ECT at the Department of Adult Psychiatry, Poznan University of Medical Sciences in the years 2000–2010. The group consisted of 69 women and 22 men, aged 24–76 years (mean 50 ± 12) who underwent at least 6 ECT sessions. The efficacy of electroconvulsive therapy was evaluated using Clinical Global Impression scale (CGI) – clinical status before treatment – and improvement after treatment.
Results. In the whole group the median value in the CGI score before treatment was 5 points, which corresponds to a significant intensification of clinical symptoms. This value was observed in 57 of 91 patients (63%). The median value in CGI improvement score – that is, the effectiveness of treatment – in all the patients treated for depression ECT was 2 points, which may indicate the high effectiveness of the method. This value was observed in 45 of 91 patients (49%). The effectiveness of ECT of therapy was similar in men and women and the greater, the greater severity of disease. The effectiveness of ECT positively correlated with shorter duration of treated depressive. In depression in bipolar affective disorder the efficacy of ECT was higher than in the depression in the course of unipolar affective disorder. It was observed in the group of all patients and in the female group.
Conclusions. These results confirm data from literature indicating that ECT therapy is effective for treatment-resistant depression.