Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Management of Depression
Depression is known to cause difficulty in daily functioning, self-esteem, sleep, and emotions. With all the research we’ve done with depression, guidelines are needed to organize this information into comprehensible and universal standards of care, informed by our most up-to-date understanding of diagnosis and treatment. The guideline in question comes from India in 2017 and is a keystone because it was the first to officially recommend the use of neuromodulatory treatments (specifically, electroconvulsive therapy; ECT) in severe cases of depression.
Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) in Treatment-Resistant Depression
When all else fails, treatment-resistant depression can be especially debilitating: it is associated with recurring depressive episodes, higher risk of suicide, and a greater amount of hospitalizations. For those who fail ≥ 2 gold-standard antidepressants or otherwise have a need for rapid improvement, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) may be the solution. ECT (in its modern sense) has been used for more than 90 years, but the persisting stigma and media portrayal related to treatment procedures mean it is rarely used in clinical treatments – even though it could help many recover from even persistent depression. This review article examines myths and facts about ECT, including its current use, safety, and side effects.
How Does ECT Work?
How does ECT Work? This is a question I face in clinical practice all the time. It is a very important one, and while there has been a lot of research on it and there are some clues about it, we still have work to do. Therefore, it should be no surprise that I was […]