الفهرس 
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Abstract
Patient views are important indicators of quality of care and should be used to improve ECT practice (Kershaw et al. 2007). Numerous studies have addressed the issue of knowledge and attitude towards ECT not only among the patients (Benbow et al.1988 ) and their relatives (Lodice et al. 2003) but also among the lay public (Lauber et al. 2005 ), among adolescent patients and their parents (Taieb et al. 2001) and also among health professionals including psychiatrists (Janicak et al. 1997).
Rational of the present study:
ECT is a major and effective treatment in psychiatry. It has withstood considerable debate and argument for nearly half a century. When administered properly, it is an extremely effective and safe treatment (Mahfouz, 1990).
However, there is a limited understanding of how precisely ECT achieves its effect. The induction of a bilateral generalized seizure is necessary for the beneficial and adverse effects of ECT. The two main research approaches to finding the relationship between these seizures and the reduction of psychiatric symptoms have been neurochemical and neurophysiological (Mahfouz, 1990).
However, ECT is a complex package of interventions consisting of: 1) the repeated rapid induction of unconsciousness; 2) the administration of atropine, an anaethetic drug and muscle relaxant; 3) the passage of electricity across the brain; 4) the induction of a bilateral grand mal epileptic seizure; 5) considerable medical and nursing attention; 6) a varied set of attitudes and expectations on the part of the patient and his family (Mahfouz, 1990).
In view of the criticisms directed to ECT, controversial attitudes and our conviction of its effectiveness. We feel it may be useful to study a representative sample of patients who had had a course of ECT and find out what they experienced and how they percept ECT, and if the experience change along the course of ECT.