Apr 9 2024European Psychiatric Association Researchers have found that Electroconvulsive Therapy , where an electric current is passed through the brain, can reduce the severity of mental illnesses.
ECT is a safe and effective treatment for some mental illnesses including severe/psychotic depression, postnatal psychosis and mania. Patients are placed under general anaesthetic and the brain is stimulated with short electric pulses. This causes a brief seizure which lasts for less than two minutes.
The use of ECT across Scotland was assessed over an 11-year period from 2009 to 2019 using data from the Scottish Electroconvulsive Therapy Audit Network . The Scotland-wide naturalistic study assessed the efficacy and side effects of ECT across a range of common mental illnesses such as depression, bipolar depression, schizophrenia, and mania.
This study on ECT presents compelling evidence of its effectiveness in reducing the severity of mental illnesses, with major side effects found to be rare. It challenges common misconceptions and stigmas associated with ECT, providing valuable insights that can reshape public perceptions and stimulate informed discussions among healthcare professionals.