Twenty-year trends in use of electroconvulsive therapy among homeless and domiciled veterans with mental illness.

BACKGROUND

To examine socioeconomic disparities in use of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) among homeless or unstably housed (HUH) veterans with mental illness.

METHODS

National data from medical records in years 2000 to 2019 on 4 to 6 million veterans with mental illness, including 140 000 to 370 000 homeless veterans served annually from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare system, were analyzed to examine ECT utilization and changes in utilization over time.

RESULTS

ECT utilization was higher among HUH veterans (58-104 per 1000) than domiciled veterans with mental illness (9-15 per 1000) across years with a trend toward increasing use of ECT use among HUH veterans over time. Among HUH and domiciled veterans who received ECT, veterans received an average of 5 to 9 sessions of ECT. There were great regional differences in rates of ECT utilization among HUH and domiciled veterans with the highest overall rates of ECT use at VA facilities in the Northeast and Northwest regions of the country.

DISCUSSION: ECT is commonly and safely used in HUH veterans in a comprehensive healthcare system, but geographic and local factors may impede access to ECT for veterans who may benefit from this treatment. Efforts should be made to reduce barriers to ECT in the HUH population.