Last week, an international research team publish "most comprehensive review of the (lack of) evidence for #ECT for depression to date. No ECT vs placebo studies for 35 years." Their report calls for an immediate suspension of ECT because risks far outweigh perceived placebo benefits.  

More than 1,200 signed our international petition since publication of that report just 7 days ago! 

To date, this report is the most comprehensive review of the (lack of) evidence of in using ECT to treat for depression. Authors highlight how there have been no ECT vs placebo studies in 35 years! This is their conclusion:

"The quality of most [Sham (Placebo)ECT]–ECT studies is so poor that the meta-analyses were wrong to conclude anything about efficacy, either during or beyond the treatment period. There is no evidence that ECT is effective for its target demographic—older women, or its target diagnostic group—severely depressed people, or for suicidal people, people who have unsuccessfully tried other treatments first, involuntary patients, or children and adolescents. Given the high risk of permanent memory loss and the small mortality risk, this longstanding failure to determine whether or not ECT works means that its use should be immediately suspended until a series of well designed, randomized, placebo-controlled studies have investigated whether there really are any significant benefits against which the proven significant risks can be weighed." 

The international research team is comprised of authors, Dr. John Read (Professor of Clinical Psychology, University of East London), Dr. Irving Kirsch (Associate Director of the Program in Placebo Studies and lecturer in medicine at the Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center) and Dr. Laura McGrath, (Lecturer in Psychosocial Mental Health at The Open University (UK).

Read more about this landmark report here: "ECT depression therapy should be suspended, study suggests"

Thank you for sounding a loud clarion call to highlight "benefits" of an nonstandardized, unsafety tested medical treatment with seven independent risks (recognized by the American Psychiatric Association and device manufacturer in their own user manual) associated with permanent memory loss and permanent brain damage. 

I agree! Under present circumstances, the risks far outweigh the benefits in a treatment so ineffective that those with "positive treatment outcomes" are as few as those who benefit from placebo treatment.

People with "negative treatment outcomes" face excessive barriers to obtain comprehensive brain injury assessment and rehabilitation. Please help us by signing and sharing our international petition.

Together we can make a difference in the lives of millions!