STUDENT: Lucy Adams

PROJECT ADVISOR: Milton Evans

ABSTRACT

Depression continues to be a major public health concern, and it is estimated that within the next twenty years, depression will be the leading cause of disability in high-income nations. It is associated with increased risk of suicide and impaired social and physical functioning. The use of pharmacotherapy continues to be the standard treatment for clinical depression and may be enough for many with depression; however, one-third of individuals will not respond to antidepressants. This type of depression in which individuals do not adequately respond to one or more antidepressant trial is referred to as treatment-resistant depression. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a procedure where, under general anesthesia, the patient has small electrical currents passed through their brain which intentionally causes a brief seizure. Because of the possible risk of cognitive side effects, ECT is generally used as a “last resort” for people with treatment-resistant depression, bipolar depression, dementia, depression with psychosis, and others. The use of ECT in conjunction with antidepressants has shown to result in better outcomes and decreased relapse rates for individuals with treatment-resistant depression. The purpose of this research is to examine the latest research on the effects and outcomes of ECT on depression levels in patients with treatment-resistant depression.