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Table 1 Demographics and personal data, ECT preferences, and experience

From: Knowledge of and attitudes towards electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) among psychiatrists and family physicians in Saudi Arabia

Item

Mean or N (SD or %)

P value

Psychiatrists N = 86 (68%)

Family physicians N = 40 (32%)

All N = 126 (100%)

Age (mean, SD)

34.45 (7.16)

35.20 (7.01)

34.69 (7.09)

0.582

Gender

 Male

62 (72.1%)

27 (30.3%)

89 (70.6%)

0.598

 Female

24 (27.9%)

13 (35.1%)

37 (29.4%)

Education

 Resident

31 (36%)

9 (22.5%)

40 (31.8%)

0.217

 Specialist (registrar)

19 (22%)

8 (20%)

27 (21.4%)

 Consultant

36 (42%)

23 (57.5%)

59 (46.8)

Saudi

80 (93%)

40 (100%)

120 (95.2%)

0.087

Non-Saudi

6 (7%)

0 (0.0%)

6 (4.8%)

Current work country

 Inside KSA

76 (88.4%)

40 (100%)

116 (92.1%)

0.025

 Outside KSA

10 (11.6%)

0 (0.0%)

10 (7.9%)

Region

 Riyadh

60 (70%)

24 (60%)

84 (66.7%)

0.279

 Outside Riyadh

26 (30%)

16 (40%)

42 (33.3%)

Place of work

 University

23 (27%)

7 (17.5%)

30 (24%)

0.0001

 General hospital

31 (36.5%)

16 (40%)

37 (29.6%)

 Psychiatric hospital

31 (36.5%)

0 (0%)

31 (24.8%)

 Primary care center

0 (0.0%)

17 (42.5%)

17 (13.6%)

My knowledge about ECT

 Minimal

13 (15%)

30 (75%)

43 (34.1%)

0.0001

 Medium

48 (56%)

8 (20%)

56 (44.5%)

 High level

25 (29%)

2 (5%)

27 (21.4%)

Have you ever worked in an ECT-utilizing department?

 Yes

73 (85%)

6 (15%)

79 (62.7%)

0.0001

 No

13 (15%)

34 (85%)

47 (37.3%)

Have you ever referred patients to ECT?

 Yes

66 (76.7%)

2 (5%)

68 (54%)

0.0001

 No

20 (23.3%)

38 (95%)

58 (46%)

Is there any ECT-treated person in your family or among your acquaintances?

 Yes

6 (7%)

2 (5%)

8 (6.3%)

0.67

 No

80 (93%)

38 (95%)

118 (93.7%)

Do you have a psychiatric illness in your family or in your acquaintances?

 Yes

35 (40.7%)

12 (30%)

47(37.3%)

0.25

 No

51 (59.3%)

28 (70%)

79 (62.7%)

I would consent to receive ECT in case I was in a psychotic depressive condition

 Yes

72 (83.7%)

23 (57.5%)

95 (75.4%)

0.001

 No

14 (16.3%)

17 (42.5%)

31 (24.6%)