Electroconvulsive therapy ect for depression webmd. Electroconvulsive therapy ect is the most effective treatment for depression. Psychotherapy andor maintenance antidepressant medication can. Repeated courses of ect may be considered for individuals with severe depressive illness who have previously responded well to ect. Electroconvulsive therapy ect is available for people suffering from particular behavioral and emotional disturbances, including some forms of depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. Ect electroconvulsive therapy is a treatment that helps many patients by easing severe depression, bipolar disorder, and some other mental illnesses. We searched pubmed for studies published between june 1, 2010, and june 1, 2018, using the terms depression, depressive disorder, and depressive disorder, major, with specifiers therapy as well as ect, electroconvulsive shock, and electroconvulsive seizure. Iv fluids are started the night before ect patients who are well hydrated have more effective treatment with fewer head and muscle aches. Electroconvulsive therapy has no long term benefits compared with placebo and often causes brain damage, say john read and sue cunliffe. Ect as a treatment ect works well with three mental health disorders. Electroconvulsive therapy ect can provide rapid, significant improvements in severe symptoms of several mental health conditions.
Brief disorientation and confusion immediately after treatment. Ect conducted with team of psychiatrist, medical consultant, and anesthesiologist. It is typically administered by a team of trained medical professionals. Apr 04, 2020 electroconvulsive therapy ect is an effective treatment for clinical depression or major depression, as well as in some forms of recurrent or chronic clinical depression with one big caveat. She reports a history of mild postpartum depression 40 years. The primary ect side effects are cognitive in nature, including possible memory loss. Electroconvulsive therapy ect is a nonmedication medical treatment that addresses severe psychiatric symptoms, after trials of medications and psychotherapy have been unsuccessful or a mental health disorder is determined to be severe and acute enough to warrant this intervention. Ect treatments can provide a fast and considerable reduction of symptoms for people with severe depression as well as other mental health conditions, which can include.
It is typically used to treat a patient who is suffering from severe depression. The study population was patients diagnosed with depression who had received ect. Major depressive disorder mdd is the most common mental illness and the leading cause of disability worldwide. These treatments include antidepressant medication and. Ect is not recommended for ongoing management of schizophrenia, or as a routine treatment for mild to moderate depression. Ect can provide relief for people with severe depression who have not been able to feel better with other treatments.
This article has been saved into your user account, in the favorites area, under the new folder. The aim of this study was to investigate how healthrelated quality of life changed after treatment and to examine differences in the results between sex and age groups. Electroconvulsive therapy ect is an effective treatment for clinical depression or major depression, as well as in some forms of recurrent or chronic clinical depression with one big caveat. A, a 72yearold recently retired professional, presents for outpatient psychiatric treatment of an ongoing episode of major depression with psychotic features. For some patients in a treatment resistant depressive episode, electroconvulsive treatment ect is the only treatment that is effective. Electroconvulsive therapy ect, which has been in use for 75 years, is an important treatment for severe and treatmentresistant depression.
The us surgeon general, the national institute of mental. Possible impact on information processing speed, particularly in. Costeffectiveness of electroconvulsive therapy for treatment. Medications there are three groups of drugs most likely to be used for depression. Electroconvulsive therapy ect johns hopkins medicine. This video provides an introduction to ect for patients, family members and clinicians that may. Ect involves a brief electrical stimulation of the brain while the patient is under anesthesia. Electroconvulsive therapy ect is a very effective treatment of major depressive disorder. Indicated diagnoses include severe depression with or without psychosis, schizoaffective.
The main physical treatments for depression comprise drug treatments and electroconvulsive therapy ect. Treatmentresistant depression an overview sciencedirect. Electroconvulsive therapy ect is a medical treatment most commonly used in patients with severe major depression or bipolar disorder that has not responded to other treatments. Pdf major depression can be a serious and debilitating condition. This can in part be attributed to our lack of knowledge of the. If medications do not reduce the symptoms of depression, electroconvulsive therapy ect may be an option to explore. Electroconvulsive therapy ect is a safe and effective treatment for certain psychiatric disorders. Focusing exclusively on depression, the first situation in which ect is extremely advantageous is when a person is acutely suicidal, because the quick response to ect is crucial. Ect is a major treatment in psychiatry with welldefined indications. It causes a person to have a seizure via electrical or chemical means for therapeutic purposes. It is most often used in the treatment of severe depression that has not responded to medications and psychotherapy. Although ect can be a firstline treatment for depression with lifethreatening psychotic or suicidal features, it is most often used in the united states for depression that has failed to respond to pharmacotherapy andor psychotherapy. Electroconvulsive therapy ect department of psychiatry.
For some patients in a treatment resistant depressive episode. Electroconvulsive therapy ect is one of the most studied and most effective treatments for selected severe mental illness such as major depression with psychotic feature. The likely speed and efficacy of ect are factors that influence its use as a primary intervention. Ect is most commonly used to treat severe depression major depression.
Electroconvulsive therapy ect is a procedure in which a brief application of electric current to the brain, through the scalp, induces a seizure. Download our consent for electroconvulsive therapy ect form pdf. Mcclintock, ect has a 7583% success rate in battling depression however, without continued treatment such as medication or maintenance ect, many patients may relapse. Ect is especially helpful for severe or treatmentresistant illness. With ect, electrodes are placed on the patients scalp and a finely controlled electric current is applied while the. Electroconvulsive therapy ect is a medical treatment for severe depression, mania and schizophrenia. Electroconvulsive therapy ect is the most effective treatment for mdd and the goldstandard therapy for treatmentresistant depression trd, yet it remains underutilized due to factors such as limited availability, stigma, and concerns about cognitive side effects. Electroconvulsive therapy ect remains the most effective treatment for severe depression and trd.
Memory loss, particularly of the recent events before the ect treatment. Most people diagnosed with depression will respond to standard treatments. Electroconvulsive therapy ect is a highly effective treatment for patients with severe and medicationresistant depression. Electroconvulsive therapy for depression orebro university. Major depression can be a serious and debilitating condition. This registerbased study used data from the swedish national quality register for ect. Mar 22, 2020 ect is mostly used to treat major depressive disorder, but it may also be used to treat other psychiatric illnesses, like mania or schizophrenia. Electroconvulsive therapy in children and adolescents. This fact sheet provides a brief summary of available treatments for depression. Electroconvulsive therapy program ucsf department of.
Electroconvulsive therapy reduces frontal cortical. Although ect has shown efficacy in randomized controlled trials, the treatment is still controversial and stigmatized. People can begin to respond even after the first treatment or two. No one knows exactly how ect works to ease symptoms.
It is most often used to treat severe depression and depression with psychosis that has not responded to medications. May 01, 2015 major depression can be a serious and debilitating condition. For some patients in a treatment resistant depressive episode, ect is. Electroconvulsive therapy ect is a procedure where electric currents are directed to the brain.
Electroconvulsive therapy ect for depression dynamed. Electroconvulsive therapy can be an effective treatment for depression. It also is used when these patients pose a severe threat to themselves or others, and it is dangerous to wait until medications take effect. Although electroconvulsive therapy ect is, along with antidepressants and psychotherapy, one of the three major treatments of depression, it is still considered as the last resort for depressed patients. To be considered for ect, an adolescent must meet criteria involving diagnosis, severity of symptoms, and lack of treatment response. These groups inaccurately perceive ect as invasive and brain damaging and insist that no reasonable person can give an informed. Depression is one of the most common disorders causing mortality around the world. Ect was introduced in 1938 and has since undergone dramatic changes so that modern ect no longer resembles the early treatment often portrayed in the media. Feb 20, 2020 searching strategy and selection criteria. Numerous rcts have demonstrated that ect is efficacious in the treatment of major depression.
Effects of electroconvulsive therapy on depression and its. Ect is rarely used nowadays as first line treatment for depression, but retains wide. The most common reason for prescribing ect for people in new zealand is severe depression. For some people with severe or hardtotreat depression, electroconvulsive therapy ect is the best treatment. However, its use has been declining over the years in the united kingdom, where it is now reserved for. Electroconvulsive therapy ect is the most effective treatment for mdd and the goldstandard therapy for treatment resistant depression trd, yet it remains underutilized due to factors such as limited availability, stigma, and concerns about cognitive side effects. Ect involves a small electrical current being carefully passed through the brain. A 72yearold woman with treatmentresistant major depression is considered for ect. Dec 31, 2014 electroconvulsive therapy ect remains the most effective treatment for severe depression and trd. Ect has received much attention in the mainstream media. Electroconvulsive therapy ect is a physical treatment used for a range of mental illnesses. During this brain stimulation procedure, a health care professional passes an electric current through the. Electroconvulsive therapy ect is a more invasive type of brain stimulation thats sometimes recommended for severe depression if all other treatment options have failed, or when the situation is thought to be life threatening. Ect is also sometimes used to treat other psychiatric disorders, such as.
To date, electroconvulsive therapy ect is the most potent treatment in severe depression. Severe depression, particularly when accompanied by detachment from reality psychosis, a desire to commit suicide or refusal to eat. Ect is mostly used to treat major depressive disorder, but it may also be used to treat other psychiatric illnesses, like mania or schizophrenia. Over 7500 australians and 300 new zealanders have ect treatment each year. Ect is often prescribed as a treatment for depression when other treatments. Pdf ect in treatmentresistant depression ethan o bryson. But sameer jauhar and declan m mcloughlin argue that evidence shows ect is effective and safe in depression and that adverse side effects can be managed electroconvulsive therapy ect was first administered in 1938. Practical aspects of ect patients are asked not to eat or drink from midnight the night before treatment until they return to the floor after treatment. It should not be reserved for use only as a last resort. For catatonic depression catatonia, in particular, ect may result in response rates as high as 80 to 100 percent and appears to be more effective than any other treatment currently available. Ect is among the safest and most effective treatments available for depression.
Electroconvulsive therapy ect, electroshock therapy. Be sure to verify your new user account in the next 24 hours, by checking your email and clicking the verify link. Treatmentresistant depression trd is a leading cause of premature mortality due to suicide and associated medical conditions and high social impairments, with large direct and indirect healthcare costs. Ect is generally used as a later treatment option when severe depression is unresponsive to other forms of therapy, or when the patient is so ill that his or her life is in danger.
Ect is most often given to treat mood disorders like major depression. A 72yearold woman with treatment resistant major depression is considered for ect. Genuine ect is substantially more effective in the acute treatment of depression than sham ect. You can read full guidelines on the nice website for using ect to treat catatonia, mania or schizophrenia, and as one of the treatments for moderate or severe depression. Electroconvulsive therapy ect, which has been in use for 75 years, is an important treatment for severe and treatment resistant depression. Continuing research means that the evidence for how well a treatment works is always changing too. This treatment, sometimes referred to as electroshock therapy, is often. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders iv text revision. The effectiveness of electroconvulsive therapy in treatment. It is often the fastest and best treatment available for this illness. Tranquilisers these medications are divided into minor and major tranquillisers. During ect, a carefully calculated electric current is passed to the brain through electrodes placed on the head.
Even when treatment such as ect, tms, vagus nerve stimulation, or other alternative therapies is successful, depression can return. It is also used to treat other forms of mental illness. In some cases of treatment resistant bipolar disorder, ect may be considered as a treatment option. Ect is therapeutic induction of generalized seizure activity with brief electric pulses via electrodes placed on patients head 1,3,4,5. Chapter 4 electric field modeling for transcranial. The clinical efficacy of ect for severe depression is well established.
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