Long-Term Effect of Maintenance Electroconvulsive Therapy in Patients With Depression-Data From a Small Randomized Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to compare the long-term effects of maintenance electroconvulsive therapy (M-ECT) with medication and medication only in patients with depression. METHODS: A randomized controlled trial of 1 year of M-ECT with medication or medication only investigated relapse/recurrence among 56 patients in remission after electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) for depression was conducted. The results of the first year are published already and showed a significant advantage of M-ECT with medication.The current study was a long-term follow-up. When the randomized treatment allocation ended, medication was continued in both groups but M-ECT was terminated. Patients were followed for up to 10 years via Swedish national registers until the study endpoint of a new psychiatric diagnosis as an inpatient, suicide, suspected suicide, or death of another cause. Time to relapse was compared between the M-ECT with medication group and the medication-only group using Kaplan-Meier estimates. RESULTS: The median follow-up time was 6.5 years for the M-ECT and medication group and 3.1 years for the medication-only group. One year after randomization 22 patients remained in the M-ECT and medication group, and 14 patients remained in the medication-only group. Relapse patterns between the treatment groups after the completion of M-ECT seemed to be similar according to visual inspection. CONCLUSIONS: This long-term follow-up study suggests that most of the benefit achieved during the treatment period with M-ECT is maintained over several years, but the small sample size, with accompanying large statistical imprecision, makes the results uncertain. More long-term studies of M-ECT are required.Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00627887.

Relational continuity may give better clinical outcomes in patients with serious mental illness - a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Continuity of care is considered important for results of treatment of serious mental illness (SMI). Yet, evidence of associations between relational continuity and different medical and social outcomes is sparse. Research approaches differ considerably regarding how to best assess continuity as well as which outcome to study. It has hitherto been difficult to evaluate the importance of relational continuity of care. The aim of this systematic review was to investigate treatment outcomes, including effects on resource use and costs associated with receiving higher relational continuity of care for patients with SMI. METHODS: Eleven databases were searched between January 2000 and February 2021 for studies investigating associations between some measure of relational continuity and health outcomes and costs. All eligible studies were assessed for study relevance and risk of bias by at least two independent reviewers. Only studies with acceptable risk of bias were included. Due to study heterogeneity the synthesis was made narratively, without meta-analysis. The certainty of the summarized result was assessed using GRADE. Study registration number in PROSPERO: CRD42020196518. RESULTS: We identified 8 916 unique references and included 17 studies comprising around 300 000 patients in the review. The results were described with regard to seven outcomes. The results indicated that higher relational continuity of care for patients with serious mental illness may prevent premature deaths and suicide, may lower the number of emergency department (ED) visits and may contribute to a better quality of life compared to patients receiving lower levels of relational continuity of care. The certainty of the evidence was assessed as low or very low for all outcomes. The certainty of results for the outcomes hospitalization, costs, symptoms and functioning, and adherence to drug treatment was very low with the result that no reliable conclusions could be drawn in these areas. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this systematic review indicate that having higher relational continuity of care may have beneficial effects for patients with severe mental illness, and no results have indicated the opposite relationship. There is a need for better studies using clear and distinctive measures of exposure for relational continuity of care.

How to reveal disguised paternalism: version 2.0.

BACKGROUND: We aim to further develop an index for detecting disguised paternalism, which might influence physicians' evaluations of whether or not a patient is decision-competent at the end of life. Disguised paternalism can be actualized when physicians transform hard paternalism into soft paternalism by questioning the patient's decision-making competence. METHODS: A previously presented index, based on a cross-sectional study, was further developed to make it possible to distinguish between high and low degrees of disguised paternalism using the average index of the whole sample. We recalculated the results from a 2007 study for comparison to a new study conducted in 2020. Both studies are about physicians' attitudes towards, and arguments for or against, physician-assisted suicide. RESULTS: The 2020 study showed that geriatricians, palliativists, and middle-aged physicians (46-60 years old) had indices indicating disguised paternalism, in contrast with the results from the 2007 study, which showed that all specialties (apart from GPs and surgeons) had indices indicating high degrees of disguised paternalism. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed index for identifying disguised paternalism reflects the attitude of a group towards physician assisted suicide. The indices make it possible to compare the various medical specialties and age groups from the 2007 study with the 2020 study. Because disguised paternalism might have clinical consequences for the rights of competent patients to participate in decision-making, it is important to reveal disguised hard paternalism, which could masquerade as soft paternalism and thereby manifest in practice. Methods for improving measures of disguised paternalism are worthy of further development.

Trends in Swedish physicians' attitudes towards physician-assisted suicide: a cross-sectional study.

AIMS: To examine attitudes towards physician-assisted suicide (PAS) among physicians in Sweden and compare these with the results from a similar cross-sectional study performed in 2007. PARTICIPANTS: A random selection of 250 physicians from each of six specialties (general practice, geriatrics, internal medicine, oncology, surgery and psychiatry) and all 127 palliative care physicians in Sweden were invited to participate in this study. SETTING: A postal questionnaire commissioned by the Swedish Medical Society in collaboration with Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. RESULTS: The total response rate was 59.2%. Slightly fewer than half [47.1% (95% CI 43.7-50.5)] of the respondents from the six specialties accepted PAS, which is significantly more than accepted PAS in the 2007 study [34.9% (95% CI 31.5-38.3)]. Thirty-three percent of respondents were prepared to prescribe the needed drugs. When asked what would happen to the respondent's own trust in healthcare, a majority [67.1% (95% CI 63.9-70.3)] stated that legalizing PAS would either not influence their own trust in healthcare, or that their trust would increase. This number is an increase compared to the 2007 survey, when just over half [51.9% (95% CI 48.0-55.2)] indicated that their own trust would either not be influenced, or would increase. CONCLUSIONS: The study reveals a shift towards a more accepting attitude concerning PAS among physicians in Sweden. Only a minority of the respondents stated that they were against PAS, and a considerable proportion reported being prepared to prescribe the needed drugs for patient self-administration if PAS were legalized.

Adolescents' Experiences of the Staff's Different Interaction Styles in Coercive Youth Care in Sweden: A Qualitative Study.

We interviewed 20 adolescents who were coercively placed in residential or psychiatric care. The aim was to explore their views on the way staff relate and perform their duties, favorable characteristics in staff, consequences of different treatment from staff and their safety experiences. Thematic analysis identified the following themes: Situational triggers of frustration; Care-based; rule-based; or passive-avoidant interaction styles toward adolescents and their responses; Adolescents' reflections about staff's interaction styles; and the Consequences on the unit atmosphere depending on different interaction styles toward the adolescents. Adolescents preferred staff who showed them respect and a clear wish to make life easier.

Individual cognitive behavioral therapy and combined family/individual therapy for young adults with Anorexia nervosa: A randomized controlled trial.

Objective: In this study, we evaluate the efficacy of outpatient individual cognitive behavioral therapy for young adults (CBT-YA) and combined family/individual therapy for young adults (FT-YA) for anorexia nervosa (AN). Method: Participants (aged 17-24 years) with AN in Sweden were recruited and assigned to 18 months of CBT-YA or FT-YA. Treatment efficacy was assessed primarily using BMI, presence of diagnosis, and degree of eating-related psychopathology at post-treatment and follow-up. Secondary outcomes included depression and general psychological psychopathology. The trial was registered at http://www.isrctn.com/, ISRCTN (25181390). Results: Seventy-eight participants were randomized, and seventy-four of them received allocated treatment and provided complete data. Clinical outcomes from within groups resulted in significant improvements for both groups. BMI increased from baseline (CBT-YA 16.49; FT-YA 16.54) to post-treatment (CBT-YA 19.61; FT-YA 19.33) with high effect sizes. The rate of weight restoration was 64.9% in the CBT-YA group and 83.8% in the FT-YA group. The rate of recovery was 76% in both groups at post-treatment, and at follow-up, 89% and 81% had recovered in the CBT-YA and FT-YA groups respectively. Conclusions: Outpatient CBT-YA and FT-YA appear to be of benefit to young adults with AN in terms of weight restoration and reduced eating disorder and general psychopathology.

History of childhood abuse is associated with less positive treatment outcomes in socially stable women with alcohol use disorder.

BACKGROUND: To examine the relationship between treatment outcome, as measured according to change in alcohol consumption, and a history of childhood abuse (emotional, physical, sexual) in socially stable women undergoing treatment for alcohol use disorder (AUD). METHODS: Participants were assessed using the Addiction Severity Index and the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview at the beginning of treatment (n = 75), end of treatment (n = 59) and 12 month follow-up after treatment (n = 57). Self-report data on alcohol consumption were obtained at all three time-points using the Alcohol Habits Inventory-Revised 2. Self-report data on childhood maltreatment were obtained at the beginning of treatment using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-short form. Study outcomes were changes in alcohol consumption (grams of pure alcohol per week), risk-drinking and reported abstinence. RESULTS: Of the 75 women enrolled, 38 (50.7%) reported a history of childhood abuse and the rest did not. Both groups showed a significant improvement in all three outcomes at the end of treatment and at 12-month follow-up. At the end of treatment, a significant inter-group difference was found for reported abstinence (non-abused group, 39.3% vs abused, 12.9%; p < 0.05). At 12-month follow-up, significant inter-group differences were observed for all treatment outcomes, with superior outcomes being found for the non-abused group, including a higher proportion of women with reported abstinence (55.6% vs 13.3%; p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The present findings suggest that an evaluation of a possible history of childhood abuse is warranted in all women seeking treatment for AUD, irrespective of social stability. In terms of clinical practice, the results suggest that additional interventions may be warranted in this population.

Predictors of outcome among young adult patients with anorexia nervosa in a randomised controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: The prognosis in cases of anorexia nervosa (AN) is unsatisfactory, and it is therefore important to examine pretreatment predictors of outcome. METHODS: Female AN patients (N = 74) included in a randomised controlled trial receiving individual cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) or family-based treatment (FBT) were included. Predictors of the outcome were explored using pretreatment eating disorder psychopathology. RESULTS: In the CBT group, lower levels of emotional dysregulation and greater deficits in identifying and coping with inner states were predictors of weight increase, explaining 37.7% of the variance. In the FBT group, lower interoceptive deficits predicted an increase in weight (explaining 17.7% of the variance), whereas bulimic behaviour (32.4%) and problems with emotional regulation (23.3%) were predictors of increased diagnostic symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Bulimic symptoms and the ability to identify and cope with emotional states appear to be important aspects that should be addressed in the treatment of young adult patients with AN.

Providing Good Care in the Shadow of Violence - An Interview Study with Nursing Staff and Ward Managers in Psychiatric Inpatient Care in Sweden.

The aim was to describe the nursing staff and ward managers' experiences of safety and violence in everyday meetings with the patients. The qualitative content analyses resulted in four themes: the relationship with the patient is the basis of care; the organizational culture affects the care given; knowledge and competence are important for safe care; and the importance of balancing influence and coercion in care. The staff had a varied ability to meet patients in a respectful way. One way of creating a common approach could be to discuss and reflect upon different options in the meeting with the patient.

The Impact of Childhood Maltreatment on Age of Onset of Alcohol Use Disorder in Women.

It is unclear whether exposure to childhood maltreatment is associated with the age of onset of alcohol use disorder (AUD). A group of socially stable women with AUD seeking treatment (n = 75) were interviewed using the Addiction Severity Index and the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview. They also filled out the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-short form. Emotional abuse, sexual abuse and multiple childhood traumas were found to be associated with earlier onset of AUD. Multivariable linear regression analysis showed that independent predictors for an earlier onset of AUD were exposure to emotional abuse (beta = -7.44, SE = 2.83, adjusted p = 0.010) and mother's alcohol/substance problems (beta = -7.87, SE = 3.45, adjusted p = 0.026). These variables explained 18.9% of the variance of age of onset of AUD. These findings highlight a need for increased clinical attention to AUD subgroups who have experienced childhood maltreatment, especially emotional abuse, as well as a need for including support in the patient's own parental role in the treatment.

Traumatic shaking: The role of the triad in medical investigations of suspected traumatic shaking.

The Swedish Agency for Health Technology Assessment and Assesment of Social Services (SBU) is an independent national authority, tasked by the government with assessing methods used in health, medical and dental services and social service interventions from a broad perspective, covering medical, economic, ethical and social aspects. The language in SBU's reports are adjusted to a wide audience. SBU's Board of Directors has approved the conclusions in this report. The systematic review showed the following graded results: There is limited scientific evidence that the triad (Three components of a whole. The triad associated with SBS usually comprises subdural haematoma, retinal haemorrhages and encephalopathy.) and therefore, its components can be associated with traumatic shaking (low-quality evidence). There is insufficient scientific evidence on which to assess the diagnostic accuracy of the triad in identifying traumatic shaking (very low-quality evidence). Limited scientific evidence (low-quality evidence) represents a combined assessment of studies of high or moderate quality which disclose factors that markedly weaken the evidence. It is important to note that limited scientific evidence for the reliability of a method or an effect does not imply complete lack of scientific support. Insufficient scientific evidence (very low-quality evidence) represents either a lack of studies or situations when available studies are of low quality or show contradictory results. Evaluation of the evidence was not based on formal grading of the evidence according to GRADE but on an evaluation of the total scientific basis.

Remission rate of transcranial magnetic stimulation compared with electroconvulsive therapy: a case-control study.

PURPOSE: To compare the rate of remission, rate of response, change in depressive symptoms, and adverse effects between repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this retrospective case-control study, 35 patients treated for depression with rTMS (left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, 90% observed motor threshold, 10 Hz, 2000 pulses/session, 15 sessions) at Örebro University Hospital, Sweden (cases), were compared with a matched group of 35 patients treated for depression with ECT (controls). Data on controls were obtained from the Swedish National Quality Register for ECT (Q-ECT). Severity of depression was evaluated using the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression rating scale (MADRS). RESULTS: Remission rate was 26% for cases and 43% for controls (p = .3). Response rate was 40% for cases and 51% for controls (p = .63). The median decrease in MADRS was 11 (IQR 3-19) vs. 17 (IQR 6-27; p = .10) for rTMS and ECT, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in any measure of treatment effect between rTMS and ECT. More than half of the patients of the rTMS group experienced scalp discomfort and 11% of the ECT group had memory disturbances. CONCLUSIONS: All measures of therapeutic efficacy were numerically inferior in the rTMS group compared to the ECT group. The differences were not statistically significant, probably because the sample size was small. More studies are required to find the optimal place for rTMS within the Swedish health care system. Such studies could be facilitated by inclusion of rTMS in the Q-ECT.

Does Mid-Treatment Insomnia Severity Mediate between Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia and Post-Treatment Depression? An Investigation in a Sample with Comorbid Insomnia and Depressive Symptomatology.

BACKGROUND: Recent treatment studies with cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) have demonstrated effects on both sleep problems and depression. Two previous studies have indicated that the beneficial effect from CBT-I on depression may come through improved sleep, although insomnia severity during treatment had not previously been investigated as a mediator. AIMS: Our aim was to investigate if insomnia severity during treatment mediated between CBT-I and depression severity after treatment, in a sample with co-morbid insomnia and depressive symptomology. We also examined whether depressive severity during treatment mediated between CBT-I and insomnia after treatment. METHOD: The participants were recruited from advertisements and fulfilled criteria for insomnia diagnosis, and had depressive symptomatology (Beck Depression Inventory-second edition: BDI-II > 13). Two-thirds of the participants were diagnosed with major depressive disorder. The participants received four biweekly group sessions of CBT-I or relaxation training (active control). Insomnia severity (Insomnia Severity Index) and depressive severity (BDI-II) were measured at baseline, mid-treatment, post-treatment and 6-month follow-up. The mid-treatment measures were used as mediators. RESULTS: Mediational analyses demonstrated a significant reciprocal relationship between insomnia severity and depressive severity throughout CBT-I, although mid-treatment insomnia had a stronger effect on depression than mid-treatment depression had on insomnia. The results were similar for both post-treatment and follow-up. DISCUSSION: Some improvement in depressive severity after CBT-I is explained by improved sleep. The findings emphasize the importance of making comorbid insomnia a treatment focus in its own right.

Justifications for coercive care in child and adolescent psychiatry, a content analysis of medical documentation in Sweden.

BACKGROUND: There has been considerable interest in normative ethics regarding how and when coercive care can be justified. However, only a few empirical studies consider how professionals reason about ethical aspects when assessing the need for coercive care for adults, and even less concerning children and adolescents. The aim of this study was to examine and describe how professionals document their value arguments when considering the need for coercive psychiatric care of young people. METHODS: All 16 clinics that admitted children or adolescents to coercive care during one year in Sweden were included in the study. These clinics had a total of 155 admissions of 142 patients over one year. Qualitative content analysis with a deductive approach was used to find different forms of justification for coercive care that was documented in the medical records, including Care Certificates. RESULTS: The analysis of medical records revealed two main arguments used to justify coercive care in child and adolescent psychiatry: 1) the protection argument - the patients needed protection, mainly from themselves, and 2) the treatment requirement argument - coercive care was a necessary measure for administering treatment to the patient. Other arguments, namely the caregiver support argument, the clarification argument and the solidarity argument, were used primarily to support the two main arguments. These supportive arguments were mostly used when describing the current situation, not in the explicit argumentation for coercive care. The need for treatment was often only implicitly clarified and the type of care the patient needed was not specified. Few value arguments were used in the decision for coercive care; instead physicians often used their authority to convince others that treatment was necessary. CONCLUSIONS: One clinical implication of the study is that decisions about the use of coercive care should have a much stronger emphasis on ethical aspects. There is a need for an ethical legitimacy founded upon explicit ethical reasoning and after communication with the patient and family, which should be documented together with the decision to use coercive care.

Eating Disorder Inventory-3, validation in Swedish patients with eating disorders, psychiatric outpatients and a normal control sample.

BACKGROUND: The Eating Disorder Inventory-3 (EDI-3) is designed to assess eating disorder psychopathology and the associated psychological symptoms. The instrument has been revised and has not yet been validated for Swedish conditions in its current form. AIMS: The aim of this study was to investigate the validity and reliability of this inventory and present national norms for Swedish females. METHODS: Data from patients with eating disorders (n = 292), psychiatric outpatients (n = 140) and normal controls (n = 648), all females, were used to study the internal consistency, the discriminative ability, and the sensitivity and specificity of the inventory using preliminary cut-offs for each subscale and diagnosis separately. Swedish norms were compared with those from Denmark, USA, Canada, Europe and Australian samples. RESULTS: The reliability was acceptable for all subscales except Asceticism among normal controls. Analysis of variance showed that the EDI-3 discriminates significantly between eating disorders and normal controls. Anorexia nervosa was significantly discriminated from bulimia nervosa and eating disorder not otherwise specified on the Eating Disorder Risk Scales. Swedish patients scored significantly lower than patients from other countries on the majority of the subscales. Drive for Thinness is the second best predictor for an eating disorder. The best predictor for anorexia nervosa was Interoceptive Deficits and Bulimia for the other diagnoses. Conclusions/clinical implications: The EDI-3 is valid for use with Swedish patients as a clinical assessment tool for the treatment planning and evaluation of patients with eating-related problems. However, it still exist some uncertainty regarding its use as a screening tool.

Assisted dying in Swedish healthcare: a qualitative analysis of physicians' reasoning about physician-assisted suicide.

To explore Swedish physicians' arguments and values for and against physician-assisted suicide (PAS) extracted from the free-text comments in a postal survey. A random selection of approximately 240 physicians from each of the following specialties: general practice, geriatrics, internal medicine, oncology, surgery and psychiatry. All 123 palliative care physicians in Sweden. A qualitative content analysis of free-text comments in a postal questionnaire commissioned by the Swedish Medical Society in collaboration with the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. The total response rate was 59.2%. Of the 933 respondents, 1107 comments were provided. The free-text comments entailed both normative and factual arguments for and against PAS. The analysis resulted in two main categories: (1) "Safe implementation of PAS is unachievable" (with subcategories "Criteria of PAS difficult to fulfil" and "PAS puts societal norms and values at risk") and (2) "The role of PAS in healthcare" (with subcategories "No medical need for PAS", "PAS is not a task for physicians", "No ethical difference to other end-of-life decisions" and "PAS is in the patient's best interest"). The respondents brought up well-known arguments from academic and public debate on the subject. Comments from physicians against PAS were more often emotionally charged and used devices like dysphemisms and slippery-slope arguments.

Plasma oxytocin changes and anti-obsessive response during serotonin reuptake inhibitor treatment: a placebo controlled study.

BACKGROUND: The drug treatments of choice for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs). However, a correlation between the neuropeptide oxytocin in cerebrospinal fluid and the severity of OCD has previously been shown, and oxytocin and serotonin are interconnected within the brain. Few studies have investigated whether SRIs have any effect on oxytocin; thus, our aim was to explore the possibility that oxytocinergic mechanisms contribute to the anti-obsessive effect of SRIs. METHOD: In a randomized, double-blind trial, comparing SRIs (clomipramine and paroxetine) with placebo in 36 adults with OCD (characterized for subtypes), plasma oxytocin was measured with radioimmunoassay after plasma extraction, at baseline, after 1 week, and after 4 weeks of treatment, and related to baseline severity and clinical response after 12 weeks, as measured by the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS). RESULTS: Baseline oxytocin levels correlated positively with baseline Y-BOCS ratings, but only among the future SRI responders. Patients with early onset of OCD had higher baseline oxytocin. During treatment, plasma oxytocin did not differ between SRI and placebo treatment. In SRI responders, plasma oxytocin first decreased and then increased; in non-responders (to SRI as well as to placebo), the reverse was the case. After 4 weeks, treatment responders had attained higher oxytocin levels compared to non-responders. The intra-individual range (i.e., the variability) of plasma oxytocin between measurements was the measure that best differentiated responders from non-responders. This range was higher in responders than non-responders, and lower in patients with autistic traits. CONCLUSIONS: SRIs have highly variable effects on plasma oxytocin between individuals. The associations between baseline oxytocin and OCD severity and between oxytocin changes and treatment response support the notions that oxytocin is involved in OCD pathophysiology, and that the anti-obsessive effects of SRIs are partly exerted through oxytocinergic mechanisms.

Paternalism, autonomy and reciprocity: ethical perspectives in encounters with patients in psychiatric in-patient care.

BACKGROUND: Psychiatric staff members have the power to decide the options that frame encounters with patients. Intentional as well as unintentional framing can have a crucial impact on patients' opportunities to be heard and participate in the process. We identified three dominant ethical perspectives in the normative medical ethics literature concerning how doctors and other staff members should frame interactions in relation to patients; paternalism, autonomy and reciprocity. The aim of this study was to describe and analyse statements describing real work situations and ethical reflections made by staff members in relation to three central perspectives in medical ethics; paternalism, autonomy and reciprocity. METHODS: All staff members involved with patients in seven adult psychiatric and six child and adolescent psychiatric clinics were given the opportunity to freely describe ethical considerations in their work by keeping an ethical diary over the course of one week and 173 persons handed in their diaries. Qualitative theory-guided content analysis was used to provide a description of staff encounters with patients and in what way these encounters were consistent with, or contrary to, the three perspectives. RESULTS: The majority of the statements could be attributed to the perspective of paternalism and several to autonomy. Only a few statements could be attributed to reciprocity, most of which concerned staff members acting contrary to the perspective. The result is presented as three perspectives containing eight values.•Paternalism; 1) promoting and restoring the health of the patient, 2) providing good care and 3) assuming responsibility.•Autonomy; 1) respecting the patient's right to self-determination and information, 2) respecting the patient's integrity and 3) protecting human rights.•Reciprocity; 1) involving patients in the planning and implementation of their care and 2) building trust between staff and patients. CONCLUSIONS: Paternalism clearly appeared to be the dominant perspective among the participants, but there was also awareness of patients' right to autonomy. Despite a normative trend towards reciprocity in psychiatry throughout the Western world, identifying it proved difficult in this study. This should be borne in mind by clinics when considering the need for ethical education, training and supervision.

Continuation electroconvulsive therapy with pharmacotherapy versus pharmacotherapy alone for prevention of relapse of depression: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: The primary aim of the study was to test the hypothesis that relapse prevention with continuation electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) plus pharmacotherapy is more effective than pharmacotherapy alone after a course of ECT for depression. METHODS: A multicenter, nonblinded, randomized controlled trial with 2 parallel groups was performed from 2008 to 2012 in 4 hospitals in Sweden. Patients eligible had unipolar or bipolar depression and had responded to a course of ECT. The patients (n = 56) were randomly assigned (1:1) to receiving either 29 treatments of continuation ECT with pharmacotherapy or pharmacotherapy alone for 1 year. The pharmacotherapy consisted of antidepressants (98%), lithium (56%), and antipsychotics (30%). The main outcome was relapse of depression within 1 year. Relapse was defined as 20 or more points on the Montgomery Åsberg Depression Rating Scale or inpatient psychiatric care or suicide or suspected suicide. All 56 patients randomized were analyzed according to an intention to treat analysis. RESULTS: Sixty-one percent of the patients treated with pharmacotherapy versus 32% of the patients treated with ECT plus pharmacotherapy relapsed within 1 year (P = 0.036). The Cox proportional hazard ratio was 2.32 (1.03-5.22).Cognitive function and memory measures were stable for patients without relapse in both groups.One suspected suicide and 3 suicide attempts by intoxication occurred, all in the pharmacotherapy-alone group. CONCLUSIONS: The post-ECT relapse rates were substantial in both treatment groups with a statistically significant advantage for combined treatment with pharmacotherapy and continuation ECT. Further studies are needed to define indications for continuation ECT, pharmacotherapy, and their combination.

Predictors of regained occupational functioning after electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in patients with major depressive disorder--a population based cohort study.

AIMS: The aim of the present study is to investigate the rate of regained occupational functioning among patients treated with electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) for major depression and to define predictors of time to regained occupational functioning. METHODS: A nested cohort study was performed of patients treated by ECT for unipolar major depressive disorder registered in the Quality register for ECT and in the Swedish Social Insurance Agency registry. Predictive values of single clinical variables and their relative importance were tested with Cox regression analysis. RESULTS: 394 patients were identified. Of those, 266 were on non-permanent sick leave and 128 on disability pension during ECT. Within 1 year post-ECT, 71% of the patients with non-permanent sick leave regained occupational functioning. Factors independently associated with a statistically significant increased time to regained occupational functioning were longer duration of sick leave pre-ECT, milder depression pre-ECT, less complete improvement with ECT, benzodiazepine treatment after ECT and co-morbid substance dependence. CONCLUSIONS: A large proportion of the patients do not return to work within several months post-ECT. Paradoxically, patients with more severe depression pre-ECT had a reduced time to regained occupational functioning, indicating a larger effect in this patients group of the treatment. Moreover, the period with sick leave compensation might be reduced if ECT is initiated within the first 3 months of sick leave. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Most patients on non-permanent sick leave regain occupational functioning after ECT. However, it usually takes a few months even in symptomatically improved patients.