We need to change how we think about ECT

With an amendment on the administration of ECT to those involuntarily admitted to psychiatric hospitals due in the Dáil this week, Prof Brendan Kelly stresses that impaired mental capacity should never be an excuse for denying treatment. Recently, the Mental Health Commission published figures showing a 2 per cent increase in the use of electro-convulsive therapy (ECT) in 2013. There is perennial controversy about ECT, especially the rare occasions when it is administered without consent. There are two key questions. First, is there any role for ECT in a modern, recovery-oriented mental health service? Second, if there is a role…