ECT Safety Review

A survey of 858 patients who had ECT found that more than half had a negative response and few were told it could cause long term memory problems.

Electric shock therapy questioned after international patient survey

An international survey of 858 recipients of electroconvulsive therapy, the first of its kind, raises questions about the balance of risk and benefit. The report in the Journal of Medical Ethics finds a gap between patient experience and how the procedure is presented. It notes that about 2,500 people in the NHS receive ECT each year, mostly for treatment resistant depression, with other uses for schizophrenia and catatonia. Only 17 percent of respondents were told about possible long term memory problems, while 59 percent said the information provided was inadequate. The findings point to a persistent mismatch between patient experience and the once accepted view that ECT is a safe and effective option.

The study comes as the last placebo trial testing effectiveness dates from 1985. The authors say the benefits are often overstated and the risks downplayed. Critics argue that the evidence base is old while real world use continues. Proponents say ECT can be life saving when other options fail. The international scope invites a rethink of how medical practices are taught and regulated across health systems.

Careful reading shows more than numbers. It highlights a trust problem between patients and doctors. Informed consent should be a real conversation with clear information about possible memory effects. When memory problems may persist long after treatment ends, patients deserve a straightforward view of risks and alternatives. The NHS faces a test to update how it informs and supports patients before, during, and after ECT.

Beyond this therapy there is a wider question about how medicine holds on to old tools while questions about safety remain. The ethical obligation is to improve data, share findings openly, and listen to those who have lived through treatment. If health systems want to maintain public confidence, they must welcome scrutiny and adjust practices accordingly.

Highlights

Clearer information could reshape how ECT is used