Objective: Assessment of the place of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in hospitalized manic patients in Turkey.
Methods: This retrospective study was carried out with the collaboration of 15 mood disorder units all over Turkey. Patients who were hospitalized with the diagnosis of bipolar mania in 2008 were included in the study. The first three modes of treatment were analyzed; and the groups that had and had not administered ECT were compared.
Results: Fifty-five patients out of 435 (12.6%) had been treated with ECT. Patients in the ECT group were more rapid-cycling (12.7% vs. 5.3%, p=0.003) and more severely ill (87.3% vs. 69.5%, p=0.004). There were no significant differences regarding the other clinical or socio-demographic variables between the groups. ECT was chosen as the first treatment mode in one patient (0.2% - 9 treatments), as the second treatment mode in 22 patients (6.4% - 9.59±3.36 treatments), and as the third treatment mode in 23 patients (11.1% - 9.27±3.68 treatments). ECTs were administered under anesthesia in all cases and combined with pharmacotherapy except for one patient.
Conclusions: The data suggest that ECT use in mania is rather common in Turkey, especially in severe and rapid-cycling cases and after the first treatment was found insufficient.