Effect of ECT on mortality and clinical outcome in geriatric unipolar depression

R A Philibert; L Richards; C F Lynch; G Winokur

Back

Effect of ECT on mortality and clinical outcome in geriatric unipolar depression

Journal article

Peer reviewed

Effect of ECT on mortality and clinical outcome in geriatric unipolar depression

R A Philibert, L Richards, C F Lynch and G Winokur

The journal of clinical psychiatry, Vol.56(9), pp.390-394

09/1995

PMID: 7665536

View Online

Abstract

Recent reports have called into question the safety and effectiveness of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). To investigate these claims, the effects of ECT on clinical outcomes were examined as part of a retrospective, naturalistic study of 192 geriatric patients consecutively admitted between 1980 and 1987 to a large midwestern tertiary care center for the treatment of depression. Data were analyzed by a variety of parametric and nonparametric methods including ANOVA and survival analysis. Patients who received ECT (N = 108) were more likely to exhibit psychomotor retardation and to have had prior courses of ECT than those who did not receive ECT (N = 84). Furthermore, despite the absence of differences in the overall rate or severity of medical comorbidity, patients receiving ECT were more likely to be alive at follow-up and to demonstrate greater clinical improvement than those treated only with pharmacotherapy. These results confirm previous studies demonstrating the superior efficacy of ECT as compared with conventional pharmacotherapy treatment in patients hospitalized with depression and document its safety in long-term follow-up.

Comorbidity

Severity of Illness Index

Age Factors

Follow-Up Studies

Humans

Depressive Disorder - mortality

Depressive Disorder - drug therapy

Male

Treatment Outcome

Antidepressive Agents - therapeutic use

Survival Analysis

Depressive Disorder - therapy

Female

Aged

Retrospective Studies

Electroconvulsive Therapy - adverse effects

Details

Title: Subtitle: Effect of ECT on mortality and clinical outcome in geriatric unipolar depression
Creators: R A Philibert - Clinical Neuroscience Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Md 20892, USA
L Richards
C F Lynch
G Winokur
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: The journal of clinical psychiatry, Vol.56(9), pp.390-394
Publisher: United States
PMID: 7665536
ISSN: 0160-6689
eISSN: 1555-2101
Grant note: T32MH-14620 / NIMH NIH HHS
Language: English
Date published: 09/1995
Academic Unit: Roy J. Carver Department of Biomedical Engineering; Psychiatry; Epidemiology; Iowa Neuroscience Institute
Record Identifier: 9983995109202771

Metrics

20 Record Views

59 Times Cited - Web of Science