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Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), called “shock treatment”
by some, is an extremely safe and effective medical treatment
for certain psychiatric disorders. With this treatment,
a small amount of electricity is applied to the scalp,
producing a seizure in the brain. The procedure is painless
because the patient is asleep under general anesthesia.
ECT has an extremely high success rate for the treatment
of major depressive disorder, catatonia, mania and various
psychotic symptoms. While ECT has been in use
for more than 60 years, the way it is administered and
the conditions under which it is used to treat patients
has changed dramatically in recent years. Currently,
about 100,000 individuals are estimated to receive ECT
each year in the United States.
ECT is most commonly administered when patients have
severe depressive illness, mania, or some form of schizophrenia
and in fact, has the highest success rate for severe
depression of any other form of treatment. ECT is particularly
useful when patients have not responded to other treatments,
when other treatments appear to be less safe or difficult
to tolerate, when patients have responded well to ECT
in the past, or when psychiatric or medical considerations
make it particularly important that patients recover
rapidly.
Not all patients improve when treated with medications
or psychotherapy (talk therapy). When illnesses, such
as depression, become particularly severe, it is doubtful
the psychotherapy alone will be sufficient. For some
patients, the medical risks of medications may be greater
than the risks of ECT.
When patients have life-threatening psychiatric problems,
such as suicidal tendencies, ECT is often recommended
because it usually provides faster relief than medications.
Overall, the majority of depressed patients treated
with ECT show substantial improvement. Even the majority
of those who have not been helped by medications respond
to ECT.
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An
Overview of ECT
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