Opinions of Depression Patients About Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Background: Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is the procedure to stimulate cortex with a magnetic field created on the skull. TMS is known as a promising method for the treatment of mental diseases particularly including depression. Purpose: The aim of the descriptive and qualitative study is to reveal the opinions of depression patients about TMS application. Method: Data have been collected from 9 patients who are depressive by using individual interviews. Findings: Three main themes such as living with depression, TMS implementation process and last words about TMS have been determined. It was also found that patients experienced anxiety, fear, and lack of knowledge regarding TMS which is a new application in Turkey. Discussion: It is thought that this will be a study that can guide the creation of effective nursing care procedures and meet the needs of patients with this application in the future by taking into consideration the thoughts and experiences of the patients who have undergone TMS. © 2023 Association for Radiologic & Imaging Nursing