Relatives’ experiences of ECT
Research type
Research Study
Full title
What are relatives’ experiences of supporting a family member receiving electroconvulsive therapy? A qualitative exploration
IRAS ID
182137
Contact name
Kerry A Irving
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Lancaster University
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 8 months, 31 days
Research summary
Relatives are often called on to represent the wishes of a family member in cases where the person cannot consent to treatment using electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Despite the need for involvement of relatives, evidence suggests that relatives often do not share the same opinions as the service users and many feel they are not given enough information or support throughout the process. Additionally, many relatives struggle with the psychological impact of supporting someone who is receiving ECT and the impact on the individual, as well as their relationships, has not been explored.
This will be a qualitative project aiming to build on our understanding of relatives’ and carers’ experiences of supporting someone receiving ECT. Participants will be eligible to take part if they have supported a family member through ECT and were aged 18 or over at the time. Semi-structured interviews will be conducted with eight to twelve participants in order to improve our understanding of their experiences and support needs.REC name
North West - Liverpool Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/NW/0679
Date of REC Opinion
9 Sep 2015
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion