A woman has said she was left unable to remember large portions of her life after receiving a mental health treatment that involves sending electric currents through the brain.
Lisa Morrison, 52 and from Northern Ireland, received electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) on the NHS six times between 2009 and 2016 as part of treatment for her depression, but claims it only caused her and her family more harm.
ECT, which is administered to about 2,500 people in the UK annually, causes a brief surge of electrical activity within the brain, also known as a seizure. The aim is to relieve severe symptoms of some mental health problems, including severe depression, according to mental health charity Mind.
But Ms Morrison has been left with long-term memory loss, unable to remember her wedding day or significant moments of her children’s lives.
“Sometimes I find it very distressing, especially when I think about my children and their early years,” Ms Morrison told The Independent. “It’s something else that was taken from me, from people who were meant to help me.”
The mother-of-two, who has since been diagnosed with complex post-traumatic stress and a dissociative disorder in 2020, was taking antipsychotics, antidepressants, three tranquillisers, and sleeping tablets before she was offered ECT.
“I was back in the emergency department, self-harming and suicidal, so it clearly wasn’t working, but they kept giving it to me,” she added.
However, it wasn’t until a few years after the treatments that she realised she had memory loss.
She recalled: “I was so unwell at the time, my life was a blur. I was separated from my husband for five years; he had to look after the kids because I was just so unwell.
“I moved back in with him and my kids in 2018, and I began to realise there were large portions of my life that I didn’t remember.
“He would talk about things I didn’t remember; our wedding day, significant events in my children’s lives.”
Her husband, Gary Morrison, said: “After treatment, she seemed to regress to a childlike state; her extreme fragility and vulnerability meant she had to be carefully nurtured. I was desperate for something to help her.”
.jpeg)
Other patients who have received ECT say it has diminished their quality of life and even caused brain damage.
A study co-authored by Ms Morrison alongside clinical psychologists at the University of East London, surveyed 286 relatives and friends of ECT recipients and found more than a third had reported brain damage.
The findings, published in the journal Psychology and Psychotherapy Theory Research and Practice, revealed that while 45 per cent of respondents reported an improvement, 42 per cent thought it had made the problem worse. Two-thirds reported that the treatment diminished the patients’ quality of life and 34 per cent believed it caused brain damage.
Ms Morrison claimed ignoring the “severely disabling effects” of ECT is a “human rights failing” and wants to see more research into the treatment.
John Read, professor of clinical psychology at the University of East London who co-author of the study, believes the treatment should be “immediately suspended”.
He told The Independent that more research is needed as no placebo-controlled trials of this treatment have been conducted since 1985, and he doesn’t believe there is evidence to prove the treatment works.
Prof Read suggested a range of alternative treatments could help people if they are seen early enough, such as cognitive behaviour therapy.
“These findings highlight the necessity to be fully transparent about the efficacy and risks of ECT to both patients and relatives. Without this level of detail, the consent provided by patients and their loved ones may not meet the requirements of informed consent,” he said.
Multiple MPs called for a ban or suspension of ECT in 2023, demanding an “urgent and comprehensive review” due to fears over causing irreversible brain damage and its disproportionate use on women, who made up around two-thirds of all ECT patients in 2019. However, the treatment is still offered on the NHS to patients with severe depression and catatonia.
Mental health charity Mind also believes ECT research is not “fit for purpose” and acknowledges the treatment can have a “big impact on family life”.
“The evidence base for ECT has never been fit for purpose and this latest study further substantiates the need for a rethink about whether and when this treatment is offered to patients,” said its information content manager Rosie Weatherley.
Mind claimed some people are offered ECT before other treatments, such as talking therapies, which is against the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines.
A NICE spokesperson said: “ECT is recommended only in restricted circumstances when other treatments have not worked, or when a condition is potentially life-threatening. It is not a routine or first-line treatment.
“Before ECT is considered and offered, clinicians must weigh up the individual risks and benefits, including the potential for cognitive impairment. Where patients have capacity, consent must be given freely and without coercion, and they must be made aware of their right to withdraw it at any time. In cases where a patient lacks capacity, any decision to proceed with treatment is made within a strict legal framework and must comply with relevant legislation.
“We keep our guidance under review as new evidence emerges.”
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “Our thoughts are with anyone who has experienced harm or distressing side effects following ECT. Patient safety is paramount to us and we take all accounts of this kind incredibly seriously.
“It is NICE who is responsible for issuing national guidance and advice and ensuring that this reflects the best available evidence. Clinical guidance from NICE is clear that patients must be fully informed of the risks and side effects before any decision is made, and that appropriate precautions must be taken throughout.”
If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email [email protected], or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call or text 988, or visit 988lifeline.org to access online chat from the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you
