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Psychiatria Danubina, Vol. 37 No. 1, 2025.

Review article

https://doi.org/10.24869/psyd.2025.8

The history of electroconvulsive therapy: From a controversial past to a merited present and towards an essential future

Raquel Medinas orcid id orcid.org/0000-0001-8703-8084 ; Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Ocidental, Lisbon, Portugal ; Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, NOVA Medical School, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
Catarina Santos ; Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Ocidental, Lisbon, Portugal
Ana Quintão orcid id orcid.org/0000-0003-2994-1501 ; Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Ocidental, Lisbon, Portugal
Filipe Azevedo ; Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Ocidental, Lisbon, Portugal
Leonor Santana orcid id orcid.org/0000-0002-1061-5047 ; Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Ocidental, Lisbon, Portugal
Filipa Prates orcid id orcid.org/0009-0007-8146-6038 ; Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Ocidental, Lisbon, Portugal
Ricardo Caetano ; Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Ocidental, Lisbon, Portugal ; Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, NOVA Medical School, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal

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Abstract

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is one of the oldest biological treatments in psychiatry.
ECT appeared in Europe in the 1930s. During the past century, it underwent several advances,
setbacks, and successive adaptations.
Despite its stigmatizing media coverage, it maintains its usefulness in current psychiatric
clinical practice.
This paper aims to provide a summary of the history of ECT, its present state, and its future. It
covers the long history of ECT, the
requirements for informed consent, most accepted techniques, clinical indications, and required
staff training. Additionally, we discuss
the uncertain future of ECT in the face of new therapeutic options in modern psychiatry.

Keywords

electroconvulsive therapy; history; informed consent; training; ketamine

Hrčak ID:

332214

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/332214

Publication date:

29.5.2025.

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