What are the benefits of ECT?
ECT is a cost-effective and efficacious treatment for some psychiatric disorders, especially when a faster response is needed. Many people begin to notice an improvement in their symptoms after two to four treatments with ECT. Full improvement may take longer. Response to antidepressant medications, in comparison, can take several weeks or more. No one knows for certain how ECT helps treat severe depression or other mental illnesses. Although a large amount of research has been carried out, the exact mechanism of action of ECT remains elusive. What is known, however, is that many chemical aspects of brain function are altered during and after seizure activity. Researchers theorize that when ECT is administered on a regular basis, these chemical changes build upon one another, somehow reducing symptoms of severe depression or other mental illnesses. Recently, the National Institute of Clinical Excellence reviewed in detail the use of ECT and agreed it is an effective treatment for sever
