by the American Psychiatric Association

About the author: The American Psychiatric Association is an organization of psychiatrists dedicated to studying the nature, treatment, and prevention of mental illness.

Electroconvulsive Therapy, more commonly known as “ECT,” is a medical treatment performed only by highly skilled health professionals—including doctors and nurses—under the direct supervision of a psychiatrist, who is a medical doctor trained in diagnosing and treating mental illnesses. Its effectiveness in treating severe mental illnesses is recognized by the American Psychiatric Association, the American Medical Association, the National Institute of Mental Health and similar organizations in Canada, Great Britain and many other countries.

A course of treatment with ECT usually consists of six to twelve treatments given three times a week for a month or...