Why is ECT controversial?
Reasons for Controversy Three reasons are given for the aversion: 1) ECT is considered old-fashioned and politically incorrect; 2) it is forced on the patient; and 3) the memory disturbances are so severe and persistent that no rational human being would undergo this procedure, no matter how well-intended.
Is ECT unethical?
Results. ECT research is ethically justified and should always continue to be conducted with the highest ethical standards. ECT research entails few ethical peculiarities such as involving multiple sessions were capacity to consent can change. It would be unethical not to conduct ECT research.
Why should ECT not be used?
ECT can’t prevent future depression, or fix any ongoing stresses or problems that are contributing to how you’re feeling. Some people have very bad experiences of ECT, for example because they feel worse after treatment or are given it without consent. You might not want to risk the possibility of getting side effects.
Is ECT evidence based?
Extensive research has found ECT to be highly effective for the relief of major depression. Clinical evidence indicates that for individuals with uncomplicated, but severe major depression, ECT will produce substantial improvement in approximately 80 percent of patients.
Why is shock therapy unethical?
ECT is not safe: it produces varying amounts of memory loss and other adverse effects on cognition in nearly everyone who receives it, typically lasting weeks or months after the last treatment (as well as many other adverse consequences, from ocular effects to postictal psychosis).
Why does ECT have stigma?
Inaccurate information biased against ECT generates negative opinions and belief systems, which can lead to societal stigma toward individuals undergoing or having undergone ECT, possibly leading to discrimination (6).
Is ECT a placebo?
Although some people who have received ECT do believe it has saved their lives, there is still no study evidence that ECT is more effective than placebo for depression. Many others believe it has irreparably damaged their lives.
What are some of the drawbacks to ECT?
Cons of ECT: Confusion post-treatment. Typically not well tolerated in the elderly population. Memory loss (retrograde amnesia) which usually improves within a couple months of the procedure. Physical side effects related to tension (nausea, headache, jaw aches, and muscle aches.
Can ECT cause memory loss?
Many people experience memory loss after having ECT. Some people find this only lasts for a short time and their memories gradually return as they recover from ECT.
Does ECT destroy brain cells?
The review of literature and present evidence suggests that ECT has a demonstrable impact on the structure and function of the brain. However, there is a lack of evidence at present to suggest that ECT causes brain damage.
What happens when ECT doesn’t work?
If nothing else has helped, including ECT, and you are still severely depressed, you may be offered neurosurgery for mental disorder (NMD), deep brain stimulation (DBS) or vagus nerve stimulation (VNS).
How has ECT been portrayed in movies?
Within only a few years of its invention, ECT was widely used in mental hospitals all over the world. Many depictions of ECT in film and television have portrayed the therapy as an abusive form of control. Most famous is the film “ One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest ,” in which an unruly patient is subjected to the procedure as a punishment.
What happened before ECT?
Before ECT, this was done with the use of chemicals, usually one called Metrazol. By many reports, patients experienced a feeling of terror after taking Metrazol, just before the seizure started.
What would Ken Kesey think about ECT?
Kesey, though, would also have known about ECT’s power to relieve symptoms of mental illness, and one of the characters in the book attests to this. At that time, ECT was also used as a “treatment” for homosexuality, then considered by psychiatrists to be an illness.
Why was ECT used in the 1950s?
ECT used as a threat in hospitals in 1950s. At that time, ECT was also used as a “treatment” for homosexuality, then considered by psychiatrists to be an illness. This was not a major part of ECT practice, but this is not a comfort to gay people who received the treatment, for whom it could be traumatizing.