Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Does Electroconvulsive Therapy Prevent Suicide?

Victor Milstein1, Joyce G. Small, Iver F. Small

  • 1Larue D. Carter Memorial Hospital and Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.

Convulsive Therapy
|January 1, 1986
PubMed
Summary

This study found electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) did not significantly reduce suicidal deaths in psychiatric patients. Long-term survival analysis suggests ECT does not offer protective effects against suicide.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

ECT in a Patient with Harrington Rods.

Convulsive therapy·1992
Same author

Choice of Stimulus Electrode Placement: Clarification by the APA Task Force on ECT.

Convulsive therapy·1990
Same author

Clinical, Neuropsychological, and EEG Evidence for Mechanisms of Action of ECT.

Convulsive therapy·1988
Same author

Uni- Versus Bilateral ECT in the Treatment of Mania.

Convulsive therapy·1987
Same author

Use of a Peripheral Nerve Stimulator with ECT.

Convulsive therapy·1987
Same author

Commentary on a Hypothesis to Explain Divergent Findings Among Studies Comparing the Efficacy of Unilateral and Bilateral ECT in Depression by Richard Abrams, M.D.

Convulsive therapy·1986

Area of Science:

  • Psychiatry
  • Clinical Psychology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a treatment for severe mental illness.
  • There is a common belief that ECT provides long-term protection against suicide.
  • The long-term impact of ECT on suicidal mortality requires rigorous investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate whether electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is associated with a reduced risk of death by suicide.
  • To evaluate the long-term survival outcomes of psychiatric patients treated with ECT.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of 1,494 adult psychiatric inpatients was followed for 5-7 years.
  • Suicidal deaths were identified and analyzed in relation to ECT exposure.
  • A matched control group of living patients was used for comparison.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • Out of 76 deaths, 16 (21%) were by suicide.
  • Suicide cause of death was not significantly linked to age, gender, or diagnosis.
  • Patients who died by suicide showed a non-significant trend towards having received ECT.

Conclusions:

  • Findings do not support the notion that ECT provides long-range protective effects against suicide.
  • ECT exposure was not significantly associated with reduced long-term mortality from suicide.
  • Further research is needed to understand the complex relationship between ECT and suicide risk.