This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Submit an eLetter
Right arrow View responses
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via CrossRef
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Right arrow Citing Articles via Scopus
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by McCall, W. V.
Right arrow Articles by Rosenquist, P. B.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by McCall, W. V.
Right arrow Articles by Rosenquist, P. B.
The British Journal of Psychiatry (2004) 185: 405-409
© 2004 The Royal College of Psychiatrists

Quality of life and function after electroconvulsive therapy

W. Vaughn McCall, MD, MS, Aaron Dunn, BA and Peter B. Rosenquist, MD

Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Wake Forest University Health Sciences, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA

Correspondence: W. Vaughn McCall, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Wake Forest University Health Sciences, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27157-1071, USA. Tel: 336 716 2911; fax: 336 716 3508; e-mail: vmccall{at}wfubmc.edu

Declaration of interest None. Funding detailed in Acknowledgement.

Background The National Institute for Clinical Excellence in the UK has recommended limiting the use of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), partly because of the inadequacy of research into the effects of ECT on quality of life and function.

Aims To examine the effects of ECT on function and quality of life, particularly as they relate to changes in mood and cognition in the month following this therapy.

Method We measured changes in quality of life, function, mood and cognition in a prospective sample of 77 depressed patients given ECT.

Results All quality of life and function outcomes were improved at the 2-week and 4-week marks after ECT. Improvement in quality of life was related to mood, whereas improvement in instrumental activities of daily living function was related to improvement in global cognition.

Conclusions Electroconvulsive therapyis associated with early improvement in function and quality of life. A restrictive attitude towards this therapy is not warranted on the basis of its effects on quality of life and function.




This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Adv. Psychiatr. Treat.Home page
H. Robertson and R. Pryor
Memory and cognitive effects of ECT: informing and assessing patients
Adv. Psychiatr. Treat., May 1, 2006; 12(3): 228 - 237.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Br. J. PsychiatryHome page
L. Andre, W. V. McCall, and L. Andre
Quality of life and ECT * Author's reply * Author's reply
The British Journal of Psychiatry, March 1, 2005; 186(3): 264 - 265.
[Full Text] [PDF]

eLetters:

Read all eLetters

Research on ECT "quality of life" is biased by design
Linda Andre
BJP Online, 9 Nov 2004 [Full text]
Reply to Andre
W. Vaughn McCall, et al.
BJP Online, 9 Dec 2004 [Full text]
NICE guidelines and ECT
Muzaffar Husain
BJP Online, 9 Dec 2004 [Full text]
Re: Reply to Andre
Linda Andre
BJP Online, 17 Dec 2004 [Full text]
Quality of life, but not as we know it
Sue E Kemsley
BJP Online, 17 Dec 2004 [Full text]