Abstract
The author introduces the present state of electroconvulsive therapy in the Chugoku district and the community cooperation between 3 general hospital psychiatric units with psychiatric wards, which can provide modified electroconvulsive therapy, and other psychiatric hospitals and clinics in Hiroshima City. The number of patients treated with modified electroconvulsive therapy in the above 3 general hospitals in 2008 were 39 in total, and 36 for the net total. A total of 335 electroconvulsive therapy sessions were performed with 8.6 sessions on average for each patient. Twenty four patients (66.7% ) were diagnosed with major depressive disorder or bipolar disorder. Eleven patients (31% ) and other 6 patients (16.7% ) were referred from psychiatric clinics and psychiatric hospitals, respectively. Thirteen patients of the referred 21 patients subsequently received outpatient or inpatient treatment in the same psychiatric clinics and psychiatric hospitals as before for referral of electroconvulsive therapy. Community cooperation for electroconvulsive therapy, in which general hospital psychiatric units treat referred patients with modified electroconvulsive therapy and psychiatric clinics and psychiatric hospitals provide continuous treatment for them, are supposed to modestly function in Hiroshima City. To build the framework of community cooperation that makes it possible to provide modified electroconvulsive therapy quickly and adequately in psychiatric emergency hospitals, the Hiroshima Prefecture ECT Network has been established and conducts regular meetings and activities.
