Electroconvulsive Therapy Use in Major Depressive Disorder Hospitalizations in Portugal
Introduction: Depression, recognized as a major contributor to global disability, requires diverse therapeutic strategies. While psychological therapy and antidepressant medications are primary interventions, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) emerges as a valuable option for severe and treatment ‑re...
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Sociedade Portuguesa de Psiquiatria e Saúde Mental
2025-04-01
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| Series: | Revista Portuguesa de Psiquiatria e Saúde Mental |
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| Online Access: | https://www.revistapsiquiatria.pt/index.php/sppsm/article/view/553 |
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| author | Marta Araújo Alberto Freitas Manuel Gonçalves Pinho |
| author_facet | Marta Araújo Alberto Freitas Manuel Gonçalves Pinho |
| author_sort | Marta Araújo |
| collection | DOAJ |
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Introduction: Depression, recognized as a major contributor to global disability, requires diverse therapeutic strategies. While psychological therapy and antidepressant medications are primary interventions, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) emerges as a valuable option for severe and treatment ‑resistant cases. This retrospective observational study explores the scenery of depressive disorder‑related hospitalizations in Portuguese public hospitals from 2008 to 2015.
Methods: Utilizing administrative data provided by Administração Central do Sistema de Saúde I.P. (ACSS), hospitalizations with primary depression diagnoses were examined. Therefore, all hospitalizations from patients aged 18 or older with a primary diagnosis of depression, selected by International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD ‑9 ‑CM) codes 296.2x to 296.3x (Major depressive disorder), 300.4 (Dysthymic disorder) and 311 (Depressive disorder, not elsewhere classified) were included.
Results: Over the study period, 32 648 hospitalizations with primary depression diagnoses were identified. Major depressive disorder recurrent episodes dominated ECT procedures (72.6%), with only 2.8% of depression hospitalizations having received ECT in the last year. A linear increase in ECT cases from 2010 to 2015 was observed, coinciding with a decline in total depressive disorder ‑related hospitalizations. A higher proportion of men received ECT compared to women. The mean age of ECT recipients was significantly lower.
Discussion: The study’s findings demonstrate an underuse of ECT procedures in depression hospitalizations in Portugal. The observed increase in ECT utilization in the study period may indicate evolving perceptions and improved accessibility.
Conclusion: Depressive disorders constitute a significant portion of psychiatric hospitalizations in Portugal. This study contributes to understanding ECT use in Portugal.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-93395794e8a64993b894abbfbbb1016b |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2184-5522 2184-5417 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | Sociedade Portuguesa de Psiquiatria e Saúde Mental |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Revista Portuguesa de Psiquiatria e Saúde Mental |
| spelling | doaj-art-93395794e8a64993b894abbfbbb1016b2025-08-20T02:07:57ZengSociedade Portuguesa de Psiquiatria e Saúde MentalRevista Portuguesa de Psiquiatria e Saúde Mental2184-55222184-54172025-04-0111110.51338/rppsm.553Electroconvulsive Therapy Use in Major Depressive Disorder Hospitalizations in PortugalMarta Araújo0https://orcid.org/0009-0008-6290-6955Alberto Freitas1Manuel Gonçalves Pinho2https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6098-429XFaculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Porto, PortugalCINTESIS@RISE, MEDCIDS, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Porto, PortugalCINTESIS@RISE, Department of Clinical Neurosciences and Mental Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal; Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Unidade Local de Saúde do Tâmega e Sousa, Penafiel, Portugal Introduction: Depression, recognized as a major contributor to global disability, requires diverse therapeutic strategies. While psychological therapy and antidepressant medications are primary interventions, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) emerges as a valuable option for severe and treatment ‑resistant cases. This retrospective observational study explores the scenery of depressive disorder‑related hospitalizations in Portuguese public hospitals from 2008 to 2015. Methods: Utilizing administrative data provided by Administração Central do Sistema de Saúde I.P. (ACSS), hospitalizations with primary depression diagnoses were examined. Therefore, all hospitalizations from patients aged 18 or older with a primary diagnosis of depression, selected by International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD ‑9 ‑CM) codes 296.2x to 296.3x (Major depressive disorder), 300.4 (Dysthymic disorder) and 311 (Depressive disorder, not elsewhere classified) were included. Results: Over the study period, 32 648 hospitalizations with primary depression diagnoses were identified. Major depressive disorder recurrent episodes dominated ECT procedures (72.6%), with only 2.8% of depression hospitalizations having received ECT in the last year. A linear increase in ECT cases from 2010 to 2015 was observed, coinciding with a decline in total depressive disorder ‑related hospitalizations. A higher proportion of men received ECT compared to women. The mean age of ECT recipients was significantly lower. Discussion: The study’s findings demonstrate an underuse of ECT procedures in depression hospitalizations in Portugal. The observed increase in ECT utilization in the study period may indicate evolving perceptions and improved accessibility. Conclusion: Depressive disorders constitute a significant portion of psychiatric hospitalizations in Portugal. This study contributes to understanding ECT use in Portugal. https://www.revistapsiquiatria.pt/index.php/sppsm/article/view/553Depressive Disorder, Major/therapyElectroconvulsive TherapyHospitalization |
| spellingShingle | Marta Araújo Alberto Freitas Manuel Gonçalves Pinho Electroconvulsive Therapy Use in Major Depressive Disorder Hospitalizations in Portugal Revista Portuguesa de Psiquiatria e Saúde Mental Depressive Disorder, Major/therapy Electroconvulsive Therapy Hospitalization |
| title | Electroconvulsive Therapy Use in Major Depressive Disorder Hospitalizations in Portugal |
| title_full | Electroconvulsive Therapy Use in Major Depressive Disorder Hospitalizations in Portugal |
| title_fullStr | Electroconvulsive Therapy Use in Major Depressive Disorder Hospitalizations in Portugal |
| title_full_unstemmed | Electroconvulsive Therapy Use in Major Depressive Disorder Hospitalizations in Portugal |
| title_short | Electroconvulsive Therapy Use in Major Depressive Disorder Hospitalizations in Portugal |
| title_sort | electroconvulsive therapy use in major depressive disorder hospitalizations in portugal |
| topic | Depressive Disorder, Major/therapy Electroconvulsive Therapy Hospitalization |
| url | https://www.revistapsiquiatria.pt/index.php/sppsm/article/view/553 |
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