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Psychiatria Danubina, Vol. 34 No. 3, 2022.

Review article

https://doi.org/10.24869/psyd.2022.544

IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON ECT PRACTICE IN QATAR

Ovais Wadoo ; Department of Psychiatry, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar ; College of Medicine, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
Shereen Mohammed Aly ; Department of Psychiatry, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
Javed Latoo ; Department of Psychiatry, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar ; College of Medicine, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
Mahmoud Khalil Mahmoud Alshawwaf ; Department of Psychiatry, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
Sandesh Kamat ; Department of Anesthesiology, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
Majid Alabdulla ; Department of Psychiatry, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar ; College of Medicine, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar

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Abstract

There is paucity of Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) utilization surveys from the Arabian Gulf region and none available from
Qatar. There is no literature available on impact of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on ECT provision. ECT is a
lifesaving treatment in psychiatric practice requiring anesthetic support and there were concerns that redeployment of anesthetists
due to COVID-19 pandemic might have comparatively bigger impact on the provision of ECT. These concerns stem from the fact that
psychiatric patients often get discriminated against in health care systems; largely due to stigma and the belief among healthcare
providers that psychiatric illness is somehow not as serious as other types of medical or surgical illness. In this brief report we
present pre-COVID ECT utilization from Qatar. We also report findings on ECT utilization during COVID-19 and compare changes
with other elective and non-elective surgeries. ECT provision was down by 40% during March to August 2020 in our setting. The
decline in ECT provision was comparable to other elective and non-elective surgeries.

Keywords

electroconvulsive therapy; coronavirus disease 2019; mental health

Hrčak ID:

290432

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/290432

Publication date:

3.11.2022.

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