EFFICACY OF ELECTROCONVULSIVE-THERAPY AND ANTIDEPRESSANTS IN DEPRESSION

  • 1 January 1977
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 12  (4) , 507-523
Abstract
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), antidepressants and neither treatment were compared by reviewing 609 hospitalizations for depression from 1959-1969. Groups receiving ECT had a significantly greater percentage of patients who had marked improvement or a complete response (49%) than either adequate or inadequate antidepressant therapy groups (27%) or the group which received neither ECT nor antidepressants (25%). If antidepressant failures who required ECT were included in the evaluation, the percentage total improvement with ECT (90%) was significantly greater than the adequate (74%) or inadequate (60%) antidepressant groups or neither treatment (60%). At the end of 7 wk of hospitalization, 74% of the ECT group were discharged, significantly more than the adequate antidepressant group, 54%. Delusional depressed patients responded much more frequently to ECT.