Everything you ought to know about ECT. The ECT Frequently Asked Questions from CTIP (Committee for Truth In Psychiatry, an international organization for shock survivors.) Learn more about this organization for shock survivors.

National Mental Health Association

NMHA has come out with a strong statement on ECT and urges increased, rigorous and objective research on ECT. NMHA also advocates the establishment of a national data bank. (Nice job, NMHA!)

SCI resolution on electroshock passed

Support Coalition International today passed a resolution condemning electroshock as a human rights violation. The Board of Directors agreed that electroshock "directly violates section 5 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights which outlaws "cruel, degrading and inhumane treatment or punishment", and the UN Convention Against Torture."
Resolution Against Electroshock - A Crime Against Humanity

NIH Consensus Statement

The National Institute of Health put together an extensive conference on electroconvulsive therapy. The conference not only included the top shock docs, but also survivors and doctors who speak out against ECT. At times it was heated, but the resulting document, the NIH Consensus Statement, is the best "official" statement in existence.

American Psychiatric Association

Here are three versions of the APA's statement on ECT policy and practice. The first is the statement available to the public, the second and third are for practitioners. (1990 version and an upcoming version)

1. The American Psychiatric Association's official statement on ECT, for the public.
2. From 1990, their official recommendations paper (for practitioners). They are obviously making a few changes (see below).
3. APA Report
   From the American Psychiatric Association, here is the newest version of their statement on ECT...."The Practice of Electroconvulsive Therapy: Recommendations for Treatment, Training and Privileging." The whole report is a few inches thick and a huge project to get scanned...but I've got the most important chapters scanned and ready to read. This is not yet released, and this is the DRAFT version only. (An insider sent me a copy)

A few points stand out in this report:

Despite all the hoopla about unilateral ECT having fewer side effects, it's not very effective
-The results of ECT are very temporary, and this illustrates the need to continue the treatments indefinitely
-Memory loss does happen ("In many patients the recovery from retrograde amnesia will be incomplete, and there is evidence that ECT can result in persistent or permanent memory loss")

And from the Canadian Psychiatric Association, the official position paper.

Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS)

Censorship at CMHS
The Center for Mental Health Studies report is out! (I am a member of the federal Task Force in Washington, D.C.) The bad news is that CMHS *did* censor the report, after hiring Linda Andre (head of the largest shock survivor organization, CTIP) as a consultant. Exclusive to the Shocked! site, read what CMHS censored, due to the lobbying efforts of NAMI and others who don't want any negative information about ECT to be made public. NAMI=censorship.

CMHS Report is released
The official Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) report is out! After a lot of politics about this report, including intensive efforts by NAMI to censor any information critical to ECT, the report is here online!

Among the findings:

• It is.. .well established that ECT produces memory deficits. Deficits in memory function, which have been demonstrated objectively and repeatedly, persist after the termination of a normal course of ECT.

• The importance (and lack of) informed consent

• The use of coercion

• Immediate research needs, including the need to fully research memory loss and brain damage concerns.

What went on at CMHS (Center for Mental Health Services)? A review, a meeting between the feds and ECT recipients, and lots of behind-the-scenes action.

In the beginning, the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) expressed anger that CHMS would even review the subject!