Internet electroconvulsive therapy

While undertaking my routine electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) clinic, I asked the anaesthetic nurse what she thought about the treatment. She said she would never have ECT because of all the ‘things on the internet’. Out of curiosity, I did some basic searches on the internet about ECT. Worryingly, the idea that ECT is barbaric is all over the internet. There are harrowing accounts of ECT therapy so-called ‘survivors’ (http://endofshock.com/). There are also some complete online video tutorials explaining why ECT should not be used (www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBBtH14jEPI). One particularly concerning view is that put forward by actor Tom Cruise (www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTr4F-5U29Q). These very public attacks by anti-psychiatry groups which centre on coercive practices and memory impairment cannot be ignored.

There have been many anti-psychiatric groups. As explained by Fink, ‘In their early history they were led by scholars. For example Thomas Sasz, who felt that psychiatrists were used as a form of social control by government.’¹ In modern times, many anti-psychiatry groups are led by patients. Anyone can find numerous anti-ECT websites and videos on the internet, and as clinicians we need to be aware that many of our patients could be visiting these sites or could have their own blogs. We need to actively provide alternative information and resources to give patients a fairer view of ECT to help them make the best decision. The website www.patient.co.uk might be a good place for such information.