Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), commonly referred to as electroshock therapy, is experiencing a resurgence as a treatment for severe depression in the United States, with the number of patients undergoing the procedure tripling to approximately 100,000 over the past 25 years. Despite facing stigma and concerns regarding potential side effects, many doctors and patients assert that ECT is the only effective treatment for some individuals suffering from severe depression. Dr. Michael A. Hill from the University of North Carolina Hospitals notes that ECT is increasingly viewed as a treatment of next resort rather than a last resort. Recent evaluations by the American Psychiatric Association indicate a renewed interest in the efficacy and safety of ECT.
PREREQUISITESThis discussion is beneficial for mental health professionals, psychiatrists, researchers in psychiatric treatments, and individuals interested in the evolving landscape of depression therapies.
http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Science/2008/01/13/shock_therapy_making_a_comeback/9712/Shock therapy making a comeback
Published: Jan. 13, 2008 at 11:45 PM
RALEIGH, N.C., Jan. 13 (UPI) -- Electroshock therapy is coming back into favor as a treatment for depression in the United States.
In the last 25 years, the number of U.S. patients undergoing the treatment -- formally known as electroconvulsive therapy -- has tripled to about 100,000, The Raleigh (N.C.) News & Observer reported Sunday.
The treatment faces a stigma, the newspaper said. Some view it as a form of torture, while others argue it causes permanent mental damage.
The American Psychiatric Association last month agreed to a new examination of literature on the practice.
Even among doctors who use it, there is disagreement about its effects, the newspaper said. Some feel it causes almost no problems, while others feel it can cause problems, but they are outweighed by the good done in some patients.
Both doctors and patients who use it say it is the only treatment that works for some suffering from severe depression.
"It's becoming a treatment of next resort instead of a treatment of last resort," said Dr. Michael A. Hill, a psychiatrist at University of North Carolina Hospitals, who administers the therapy.