Johns Hopkins Psychiatry Guide
Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)
DESCRIPTION
- Electroconvulsive therapy is a well-studied and long-established treatment for major depression and other psychiatric conditions, utilizing electrical current to induce controlled seizures in patients under general anesthesia.
- Stigma and crude, outdated media portrayals may contribute to underutilization of ECT.
- ECT is one of the best treatments currently available to patients suffering from treatment-resistant depression in particular.
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Last updated: August 16, 2025
Citation
Adnane, Lydia, et al. "Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)." Johns Hopkins Psychiatry Guide, The Johns Hopkins University, 2025. Johns Hopkins Guides, www.hopkinsguides.com/hopkins/view/Johns_Hopkins_Psychiatry_Guide/787142/all/Electroconvulsive_Therapy__ECT_.
Adnane L, Nestadt P, Gimelshteyn Y, Reti IM. Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT). Johns Hopkins Psychiatry Guide. The Johns Hopkins University; 2025. https://www.hopkinsguides.com/hopkins/view/Johns_Hopkins_Psychiatry_Guide/787142/all/Electroconvulsive_Therapy__ECT_. Accessed October 29, 2025.
Adnane, L., Nestadt, P., Gimelshteyn, Y., & Reti, I. M. (2025). Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT). In Johns Hopkins Psychiatry Guide. The Johns Hopkins University. https://www.hopkinsguides.com/hopkins/view/Johns_Hopkins_Psychiatry_Guide/787142/all/Electroconvulsive_Therapy__ECT_
Adnane L, Nestadt P, Gimelshteyn Y, Reti IM. Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) [Internet]. In: Johns Hopkins Psychiatry Guide. The Johns Hopkins University; 2025. [cited 2025 October 29]. Available from: https://www.hopkinsguides.com/hopkins/view/Johns_Hopkins_Psychiatry_Guide/787142/all/Electroconvulsive_Therapy__ECT_.
* Article titles in AMA citation format should be in sentence-case
TY - ELEC
T1 - Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)
ID - 787142
A1 - Adnane,Lydia,M.D.
AU - Nestadt,Paul,M.D.
AU - Gimelshteyn,Yelena,M.D.
AU - Reti,Irving,M.B.B.S.
Y1 - 2025/08/16/
BT - Johns Hopkins Psychiatry Guide
UR - https://www.hopkinsguides.com/hopkins/view/Johns_Hopkins_Psychiatry_Guide/787142/all/Electroconvulsive_Therapy__ECT_
PB - The Johns Hopkins University
DB - Johns Hopkins Guides
DP - Unbound Medicine
ER -
