A profile of ACT recipients in New York State during 1972 and 1977

The authors report data on the social and clinical characteristics of patients who received ECT in public or private psychiatric facilities in New York State during 1972 and 1977. The findings indicate that the predominant use of ECT is in the private psychiatric sector and that, in both private and public facilities, it is administered primarily to white, middle-aged women with depressive conditions.