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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
6 pages in length. Mention the term electro-convulsive therapy and it is bound to elicit a response of fear and skepticism. This particular type of psychotherapy, introduced in 1938 by Cerletti, gained a dubious reputation almost from the moment it was created due to the procedure's invasiveness and mind-altering influence. That electric shock applied to the brain in order to bring about convulsive seizures was meant to address such psychological illnesses as acute mania, bipolar, chronic endogenous depression and certain types of schizophrenia was severely questioned on both an ethical and physical level, ultimately causing its disappearance until the 1970s. The writer discusses how electro-convulsive therapy is used today. Bibliography lists 6 sources.
Page Count:
6 pages (~225 words per page)
File: LM1_TLCshock.rtf
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
almost from the moment it was created due to the procedures invasiveness and mind-altering influence. That electric shock applied to the brain to bring about convulsive seizures was meant
to address such psychological illnesses as acute mania, bipolar, chronic endogenous depression and certain types of schizophrenia was severely questioned on both an ethical and physical level, ultimately causing its
disappearance until the 1970s (Baldwin et al, 1998). Electro-convulsive therapy was widely used throughout the 1940s and 1950s, touted as one of the most effective methods for treating certain types
of mental illnesses; while the procedure itself has always come under fire, significant research was conducted during this time as a means by which to improve the process. Once
pharmacological alternatives hit the scene in the 1960s, however, the popularity of electro-convulsive therapy waned, which lasted no more than a decade when it was brought back into use for
treatment of specific mental illnesses, still not able to let go of its unfavorable reputation (Baldwin et al, 1998). The medical community has generally considered this therapeutic approach valuable
for which it is intended, yet its barbaric distinction where the public is concerned has not seemed to move away from the disturbing depiction in the film One Flew Over
The Cuckoos Nest. Even with its reintroduction, there is still significant concern as to whether this treatment is suitable for children or adolescents. Critics who contend electro-convulsive therapy
is ineffective due to its brain damage properties state its use "should be limited to cases where other forms of counselling or drug therapies have failed" (Hirst, 1999, p. 22),
while supporters claim it is both a viable and effective alternative "for certain types of depression and is better than anti-depressants" (p. 12). "The literature on ECT with children
...