Social Psychiatry, Vol. 54 No. 1, 2026.
Review article
https://doi.org/10.24869/spsih.2026.38
Electrostimulation Therapy of the Brain in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry: A Narrative Literature Review and Croatian Experiences
Petra Visković
; University Hospital Centre Zagreb, Department for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Zagreb, Croatia
*
Dinko Horvat
; University Hospital Centre Zagreb, Department for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Zagreb, Croatia
Ivana Stefanović
; University Hospital Centre Zagreb, Department for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Zagreb, Croatia
Marta Okružnik Želalić
; University Hospital Centre Zagreb, Department for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Zagreb, Croatia
Gordan Majić
; University Hospital Centre Zagreb, Department for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Zagreb, Croatia; University of Zagreb, School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia
Ivan Begovac
; University Hospital Centre Zagreb, Department for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Zagreb, Croatia; University of Zagreb, School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia
* Corresponding author.
Abstract
Electrostimulation therapy of the brain (ESTB), also known as electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), is a medical procedure in which a controlled epileptic seizure is induced by an electrical current, and it has been used in child and adolescent psychiatry since the 1940s. Although cases of ESTB use in children are present in the literature, they are currently
underrepresented and often neglected, and its application remains controversial, particularly in the pediatric population. Therefore, this narrative review aims to present the available literature on the efficacy and safety of ESTB in children and adolescents, along with a case report. A search of the PubMed database was conducted in November 2025 for the period from 2015 to 2025. Sixteen studies of various designs that reported on the use and efficacy of ESTB in the pediatric
population were included. The majority of the studies had an observational design, with one systematic review and two
randomized controlled trials, which represents a novelty of this review. The results consistently indicate high efficacy
and a clinically positive response to ESTB in the treatment of mood disorders and catatonia, where rapid and clinically
significant improvement is often achieved, particularly in emergency conditions. In psychotic disorders, moderate but
relevant response rates are reported. However, most of the available studies have methodological limitations, including
the lack of randomized and longitudinal research, which complicates the assessment of long-term outcomes. In Croatia, ESTB is currently applied only in adults and not performed in minors; therefore, this paper presents the case of a younger adult.
Keywords
Electrostimulation Therapy of the Brain; ESTM; Electroconvulsive Therapy; ECT; Children; Adolescents; Croatia
Hrčak ID:
350309
URI
Publication date:
27.3.2026.
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