Rael Jean Isaac

In the following viewpoint, Rael Jean Isaac asserts that electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)—in which pulsed electricity is sent through electrodes that have been placed on a patient’s head, inducing a brief seizure—is a safe and effective treatment for schizophrenics and depressives. According to Isaac, ECT has few side effects other than temporary memory loss and is safer than antidepressants. However, Isaac notes that the misrepresentation of ECT by its opponents and the media has greatly restricted its accessibility. Isaac is the co-author of Madness in the Streets: How Psychiatry and the Law Abandoned the Mentally Ill.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. According to Richard Wiener, as cited by Isaac, what is the likelihood that ECT is more effective than antidepressants in the treatment...