Ont. study shows ECT reduced suicide by 50% in first year after hospitalization for depression

The organization says it's the most convincing study to date that establishes a clear link between electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and suicide prevention among Ont. patients hospitalized for depression. Suicide deaths within one year from hospital discharge per 1,000 persons per year were 5.8 among those who received ECT compared to 10.9 among those who didn’t receive it. Among individuals receiving the therapy, the risk of all-cause death also declined by 25%. During the ten-year study, just under 9% received ECT. While it found that it's a medically safe procedure, the authors say the reasons patients don't receive ECT is for fear about the procedure, lack of access to treatment or ECT not being presented as an option by the clinical team.