‘Shock tactics’, ethics and fear: an academic and personal perspective on the case against electroconvulsive therapy
Tania Gergel
Abstract
Despite extensive evidence for its effectiveness, electroconvulsive therapy remains the subject of fierce opposition from those contesting its benefits and claiming extreme harms. Alongside some reflections on my experiences of this treatment, I examine the case against electroconvulsive therapy and find that it appears to rest primarily on unsubstantiated claims about major ethical violations, rather than clinical factors such as effectiveness and risk.
Topics & Concepts
Electroconvulsive therapyOpposition (politics)Perspective (graphical)Shock therapyPsychologyPsychotherapistSocial psychologyMedicinePsychiatryPolitical scienceLawPoliticsCognitionArtificial intelligenceComputer scienceElectroconvulsive Therapy StudiesTreatment of Major DepressionTakotsubo Cardiomyopathy and Associated Phenomena