New book shares patient perspectives on electroconvulsive therapy

A new collection of stories curated in partnership with a clinical professor are shedding light on people’s experiences of receiving electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) to treat psychosis.

Electroconvulsive therapy is a psychiatric treatment that involves passing a small electrical current through the brain to induce a controlled seizure. The therapy is delivered under general anaesthetic. ECT is prescribed to twice as many women than men and elderly people are more likely to benefit from ECT, with the average age of those receiving ECT in the UK at just over sixty years.

Professor George Kirov, a clinical professor and psychiatrist based in the division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences at Cardiff University, has written a book called Waves of Hope: Personal Stories of ECT.

The book is a collection of stories written by 11 people who have received ECT, or by their friends and family. They provide detailed accounts of their experiences of severe mental illness and their journeys through ECT.

Professor Kirov said: “We felt that the public should hear the voices of patients and their relatives, as it is not sufficient for doctors merely to describe electroconvulsive therapy and its benefits. This is why we brought together a group of people who were willing to share their stories, with each one writing a chapter.

“For many years I have been trying and wondering how to inform the public about the effectiveness of electroconvulsive therapy. I wanted to share some of the dramatic recoveries of very ill patients that I witness, the transformations of people from the depths of psychosis, the agony of depression or stupor to complete recovery.

“No other treatment in psychiatry can match some of these outcomes in terms of speed or magnitude of the changes; this is probably on par with some surgical outcomes in terms of life-restoring effects.

“Despite that, most people still see ECT as a barbaric treatment that has no place in modern psychiatry, perhaps something to be ashamed of. Even medical colleagues can look astounded when they hear what I do in the hospital.”

During the first COVID-19 lockdown, Professor Kirov launched another book covering his research on ECT called Shocked: Insider stories about electroconvulsive therapy which narrated the stories of patients receiving ECT in his clinic. The book attracted some interest in electroconvulsive therapy research circles and among several patients and their relatives.

Professor Kirov added: “Colleagues started contacting me for advice and feedback. But this book was never going to change public perceptions. Neither were scientific papers going to make a difference."

Professor Robert Howard, professor of old age psychiatry from University College London, commented on the new book: “[This is] an extraordinary book. Authentic, intimate and often uplifting first-person accounts of the experience of severe mental illness and the therapeutic power of ECT. The stories pull no punches and should be read by everyone who wants to understand why we still need ECT and what it means to have the treatment.”

Professor Kirov concluded: “I’d like to thank everyone who shared their stories as part of this book. The stories highlight the potential life-changing benefits this treatment can have, and I hope the new book will help to dispel some of the myths and misinformation that surround electroconvulsive therapy.”

Waves of Hope: Personal Stories of ECT is available now and published by Cambridge University Press.