Seventy-two consecutive patients treated with electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) for severe mental illness were asked their opinions about ECT: 83% considered they had improved as a result of the treatment and 81% would have it again. Most found the experience neutral or pleasant and 54% thought the dentist more distressing. Claims in newspapers, magazines, television and elsewhere that ECT is cruel and frightening receive little support from the results of this study.
References
1.
AndersonJ.F., MacDonaldE.J., MorrisonA. (1977) British Medical Journalii, 1081–1082
2.
BarnettM. (1973) People Not Psychiatry.George Allen & Unwin, London
3.
BidderT.D., StrainJ.J., & BrunschwigL. (1970) American Journal of Psychiatry127, 737–745
4.
FreemanC.P.L., & KendellR.E. (1980) British Journal of Psychiatry137, 8–16
5.
GreenblattM., GrosserG.H., & WechslerH. (1964) Americal Journal of Psychiatry120, 935–943
6.
HodgkinsonN. (1977) The Times, 4 August, p 2
7.
Medical Research Council (1965) British Medical Jounali, 881–886
8.
MounterJ. (1977) The Listener98, No. 2518, 66–67
9.
SmytheT. (1980) Mind Out Jan/Feb, p 2
10.
SquireL.R., & ChaceP. (1975) Archives of General Psychiatry32, 1557–1564
11.
WaughS. (1978) Mind Out Jan/Feb, p 17
12.
WeeksD., FreemanC.P.L., & KendallR.E. (1980) British Journal of Psychiatry137, 26–37
