Electroconvulsive therapy
Electroconvulsive therapy provides electrical stimulation to your brain while you are under anesthesia in an effort to affect your brain chemistry and its influences on your mental health. It may require a number of treatments to be successful, but is very effective for many people.
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) program in Wasatch Front
At Mountain View Hospital, we make sure our patients have access to all the treatment options they need to manage and overcome their behavioral health symptoms.
That's why we offer ECT, otherwise known as electroconvulsive therapy. This method of treatment is endorsed by the American Psychiatric Association, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and National Institute of Mental Health as a safe and effective option for many patients.
Who is a candidate for ECT?
Typically, an adult who has sought treatment for depression and has tried at least two medications without success, may be a candidate for ECT.
Patients with many different health conditions and symptoms, from pregnant women to those with pacemakers, have benefitted from ECT treatments. Of course, treatment options are decided on a case-by-case basis, but ECT is a commonly used and well-tolerated procedure for adults who are 18 years old and older.
Some of the conditions that respond well to ECT include:
- Catatonia
- Dementia with behavioral disturbance
- Depression, including refractory depression
- Mania
- Neuroleptic malignancy syndrome
- Psychosis
- Refractory bipolar disorders
- Schizophrenia
How does ECT treatment work?
Before ECT begins, your physician will fully explain the benefits and risks associated with treatment, and you will provide your consent. (This consent for treatment can be withdrawn at any time, and we will stop treatment.) After this, you will receive a complete physical examination, which may include certain imaging exams or diagnostic laboratory tests.
We encourage you to ask questions any time before, during and after ECT. It's important you feel comfortable with the treatment and understand the process.
How long does it take for ECT to work?
What is involved in an ECT session?
To begin treatment, IV medications are used to induce sleep and relax your muscles. Once this happens, an electrical stimulus will be administered through electrodes (small pads) placed on your head. The stimulus produces changes in the brain waves that are similar to what is produced during a generalized seizure. The procedure leads to clinical improvement in mental health symptoms.
After an ECT treatment
ECT follow-up care
What are the side effects of ECT?
ECT is a safe procedure and often has fewer side effects than medications, however, common side effects of ECT may include:
- Difficulty with short-term memory during the time of treatment
- Headache
- Muscle soreness
- Nausea
Short-term difficulty learning and/or remembering new information during the time of treatment
ECT at Mountain View Hospital
We provide complete ECT services and care as part Mountain View Hospital’s behavioral health program. This program includes both inpatient and outpatient ECT, as well as access to other mental health care services and resources.
For more information about the ECT program at Mountain View Hospital, please call (801) 465-7130.