Does ECT Prevent Suicide?

Whether a course of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) reduces the risk for suicide has not been fully resolved. To address this question, investigators examined Veterans Affairs medical records of 14,810 patients who received ECT and 58,369 patients with mental service use who did not get this treatment; the controls were matched to cases on estimated propensity to receive ECT.

Compared with controls, patients receiving ECT had more past suicide attempts and hospitalizations and were at elevated risk for suicide. During the year after ECT, the two groups did not differ in death by suicide.