Why is electroshock therapy still a mainstay of psychiatry?
John Read, the author, is a psychologist who is a proponent of the more psychosocial side of the biopsychosocial model of psychiatry. He is a well known opponent of ECT therapy, and this article is not a balanced view of ECT.<p>There are plenty of proponents of ECT, and overall the balance of evidence for most guidelines suggests it is useful in some situations. From my experience working in psychiatry in the UK at least, psychiatrists do just want to help treat patients, and use it as it seems to work in select situations. Its just another treatment option, why demonise it?