Paris Jackson opens up about ‘painful’ electroconvulsive therapy. She’s not alone - USA Today
A new international study and personal accounts from individuals like Paris Jackson highlight the risks and potential side effects of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Participants reported issues such as memory loss and a lack of perceived improvement in mood, particularly among women.
Why it matters
The discussion challenges the clinical consensus on ECT, emphasizing the need for better patient awareness regarding long-term side effects and trauma-informed care.
Hear this story Lisa Morrison was only 19 when she received her first dose of electroconvulsive therapy . She was in South Africa, restrained on a treatment table in what was then-called an asylum.
Morrison, now 52, says she was over-medicated , frightened and felt “choiceless.” She’s now the co-author of a study published on Aug. 10 in Health Care for Women International that investigated the risks and aftermath of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).
The international study, involving 858 participants from 44 countries, found that women patients were less likely than men to report improved mood following ECT treatment, and reported worse outcomes than men across the board, including short- and long-term memory loss.
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