A History of Electroshock Therapy

Be inspired by Sherwin Nuland's "A History of Electroshock Therapy." Nuland, a successful surgeon and author of popular non-fiction, provides a brief timeline of this treatment for severe depression and shares his personal experience with the illness and the treatments that saved his life. Electroshock therapy is experiencing a renaissance to treat the approximate 10% of depressed patients who do not respond to medication.

Nuland spoke at the 2001 TED Conference in Monterrey, CA--a forum for the world's brightest thinkers and doers to share their ideas. Visit their website for much, much more from TED. Explore by theme, talk, or speaker.

Keywords: electroshock therapy, electroconvulsive therapy, ECT -- Note you will likely find some articles using either term, but you will probably find more using "electroconvulsive therapy." You may wish to search for "electroshock therapy OR electroconvulsive therapy" to search both terms at once.

To begin an exploration of this controversial treatment, start with the Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center for viewpoint essays and more. Find additional background information in the Gale Virtual Reference Library or the ProQuest Research database. (PSU only)

For in-depth information and scholarly literature, consult psychology databases, such as PsycINFO, PubMed, and the Annual Reviews. (mostly PSU only)

Need help? Ask! All PSU or Altoona campus.