Demographic and Clinical Profile of Patients Receiving Electroconvulsive Therapy at Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital Yaba in Lagos, Nigeria

Aims: To obtain sociodemographic and clinical profile of patients receiving Electroconvulsive therapy in a Nigerian psychiatric hospital.

Study Design: A retrospective study.

Place and duration: The study was carried out at the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria over a period of 3 months.

Methodology: An extensive review of the hospital records of patients receiving the modified form of electroconvulsive therapy for the first time over a period of eight years was done. The demographic information, clinical diagnosis and indication for electroconvulsive therapy were retrieved and analysis was done using SPSS 19.

Results: There were a total of 222 cases, ranging from 45 in 2000 to 21 in 2007. Mean age was 31.7 ± 9.65. Male: female ratio was 1:2. Almost 60% of them were single and unemployed. Clinical diagnosis using ICD 10 ranged from schizophrenia (44.8%), severe depression (27.8%), bipolar disorder (15.5%) to puerperal psychosis (8.2%). Indications for electroconvulsive therapy included psychosis (41.6%), severe depressive episode (25.8%), catatonia (23.7%) and manic episode (7.4%).

Conclusion: This study has shown that the use of ECT has declined in the facility over the study periods. Also, females were twice as likely to receive electroconvulsive therapy compared to males and schizophrenia still remains the most common diagnosis among the patients.