Electroconvulsive Therapy: Is Further Investigation Necessary?

Abstract

Recent reports in the lay literature and professional house publications both have brought into question the validity of electroconvulsive shock as a therapy, and highlighted the iatrogenic effects of the treatment. The failure to complete a study of the therapeutic effectiveness of ECT is reported. The study incorporated two conditions thought to be essential for an adequate evaluation of the treatment: a placebo-ECT group; and double-blind procedures. The failure of the study revealed the difficulty of conducting to completion an adequately controlled investigation of a treatment already accepted by clinicians. Other placebo-controlled double-blind studies are reviewed, and alternative study designs are discussed.