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Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has repeatedly been reported to be as effective in younger patients as in older patients, but these studies have been relatively small. The current researchers examined patient-reported outcomes in 190 adolescents and young adults (age range, 16–25; mean age, 21) after five typically unilateral ECT sessions. The data were collected on a validated questionnaire as part of routine care; a separate questionnaire was used at baseline to screen for substance use disorders (SUDs).
Compared with baseline, significant improvement was seen after the fifth ECT session in all domains measured: depression/functioning, interpersonal relationships, self-harm, emotional lability, and psychosis (when present). Patients who sc…