Author name: Rob Carr

Ban Electroshock Therapy ECT: Brutality Prescribed New British Study Wants Any ECT Practice Suspended Because of Its Many Severe Adverse Effects December 4, 2025– Robert Carter A new British study of the effects of electroconvulsive therapy was published last month and it calls for the suspension of any ECT treatments for depression until further research is done. The researchers, led by Professor John Read at the University of East London, found such widespread damage done to ECT recipients that Read called for an immediate cessation of its use to treat depression. Besides the short and long term memory loss from ECT, which has been known about for so long, the research found twenty-five other adverse conditions that occur regularly after ECT treatments. 87 percent of the 747 ECT patients studied easily lost their train of thought and 86 percent had difficulty concentrating. More than 75 percent of them experienced “emotional blunting.” More than 50 percent had recurring headaches. 67 percent reported loss of independence, and 55 percent reported the effects ECT associated with their loss of a job. Over 22 percent experienced heart problems such as arrhythmia. 16 percent reported seizures or convulsions that occurred beyond the ECT period. The list of adverse effects goes on and on and includes such conditions as relationship difficulties connected to memory loss, difficulties in being able to navigate, and ongoing loss of vocabulary. Each of the 25 adverse effects met the criterion used by the European Medicines agency to classify these side effects as “very common.” Professor Read noted in his remarks that there have been no studies that even show that ECT is any more effective than a placebo in treating depression. Earlier research, he says, “is so flawed and inconclusive that ECT would have absolutely no chance of obtaining MHRA (the British Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency) approval in the UK, or FDA approval in the USA, if it were introduced today.” He says that these startling new findings from this study make it even more urgent that ECT be suspended pending a thorough investigation into both its safety and efficacy. Comments are moderated. You must be logged in to comment. Please keep it civil