Paper Summary:

The paper argues that electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is an effective treatment for severe depression that has a negative stigma in the general population and is therefore underused in clinical practice. The paper describes electroconvulsive therapy and relates that the procedure does not cause brain damage in adults. The paper includes a review of patients' experiences and presents the cognitive side effects of ECT and how they relate to use with the depressed elderly. Finally, the paper presents a brief case study from the writer's place of work as an example of effective treatment.

From the Paper:

"Electroconvulsive therapy is also known as electroshock or ECT and is a well established, though controversial psychiatric treatment in which seizures are electrically induced in anesthetized patients for a therapeutic effect. ECT has been the subject of major controversy, receiving extensive negative media coverage and has faced legal obstacles in certain places (Bustin, Rapopor, Krishna, and Matusevich, 2007). Today, ECT is most often used as a treatment for severe major depression which has not responded to other treatment, and is also used in the treatment of mania (often in bipolar disorder), catatonia, schizophrenia and other disorders. Elderly depressed patients are the most likely to be receiving ECT for major depression (Bustin et al, 2007)."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Bustin, J, Rapoport M.J., Krishna, M., Matusevich, D., Finkelsztein, C., Strejilevich, S., Anderson, D. (2008). Are patients' attitudes towards and knowledge of electroconvulsive therapy transcultural? A multi-national pilot study. International Journal Of Geriatric Psychiatry 2008 May; Vol. 23 (5), pp. 497-503
• Eranti, S.V., and McLoughlin,D.M. (2003). Electroconvulsive therapy state of the art. British Journal of Psychiatry, (2 0 0 3 ) , 1 8 2 , 8 - 9
• Keltner, N.L. and Boschini, D.J. (2009). Electroconvulsive Therapy. Perspectives in Psychiatric Care Vol. 45, No. 1, January 2009.
• Rush, A.J. et al (2006). Options for treatment-resistant depression. American Journal of Psychiatry (Nov. 2006), Vol. 163, No. 11, pp. 1,905-17.
• Shives, L.R. (2007). Basic Concepts of Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing, Sevent Edition. New York: Lippincott, Williams and Wilkins.

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