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Objectives: Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is commonly indicated for refractory psychiatric disorders. However, little research has compared response across diagnoses. Here, we aimed to evaluate the relative impact of diagnosis and clinical staging as response predictors in a crossdiagnostic sample. Methods: In a retrospective cohort of adult inpatients (n=287) who underwent at least six sessions of ECT, we investigated predictors of complete response (a clinical global impression of 1) to ECT. We use adjusted regression models to estimate the impact of clinical diagnosis and staging on complete response and dominance analysis to assess the relative importance of these predictors. Results: Those for whom a depressive episode was a primary indication for treatment were the most likely to have complete improvement, while those with psychosis were the least likely; clinical stage had a significant influence on outcome in all diagnoses. A diagnosis of psychosis was the strongest predictor of non-response. Conclusions: A diagnosis of psychosis (mainly schizophrenia) was the strongest predictor of nonresponse. We also found that clinical staging can aggregate information on ECT response that is independent of clinical diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the moderating effects of diagnosis and gender on the influence of age on the outcome of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). The study included adult inpatients who underwent ECT for acute mental illness and analyzed the relationship between age, diagnosis, gender, and remission. The results showed that age alone was not a significant predictor of remission, but when diagnosis and gender were taken into account, older age predicted a higher likelihood of nonremission. The study suggests that diagnosis and gender may be important factors to consider when examining the relationship between age and ECT outcomes. [Extracted from the article]