Electroconvulsive Therapy and the Illusion of Treatment

Abstract

The moral and ethical considerations surrounding the practice of electroconvulsive therapy have virtually been ignored. Most research has been devoted to noting this treatment's efficacy but conclusive empirical evidence in favor of it does not, as such, exist. The argument that psychiatrists use electroconvulsive therapy solely to prevent harm to the patient is examined and rejected. The illusion of treatment implies that psychiatrists may have ulterior motives in turning to this mode of therapy. If these ulterior motives influence a psychiatrist's choice of treatment, the treatment may be considered morally wrong.