Demystifying Electroconvulsive Therapy

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is one of the oldest treatments in psychiatry. It can be dramatically effective, especially in the treatment of severe mood disorders. It is also a treatment which can inspire fear and mistrust in the general public. A history of overuse coupled with negative portrayals of ECT in the popular media have contributed to this; as a consequence, access to this life-saving treatment has become more limited. At The Royal, we have an active ECT service which provides treatment to more than 100 individual patients per year. In this presentation, we will introduce you to the physician leader of ECT and some of our nursing staff. We will take you through the modern ECT procedure and highlight recent developments introduced to reduce the side effects of the procedure. Stories of patients who have been through the treatment and contributed to our service delivery will form a central part of the presentation. www.theroyal.ca