Long-term outcomes following electroconvulsive therapy for treatment-resistant depression

Abstract

Background: Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is the most acutely effective treatment for depression but its use is limited by high rates of early relapse and retrograde amnesia of uncertain severity and duration. Aims: The work presented in this thesis aimed to elucidate long-term clinical and cognitive outcomes of patients with moderate-to-severe, often medication-resistant depression treated with ECT. This thesis also aimed to examine the validity of several definitions of treatment-resistant depression and explore the effect of pre-ECT medication resistance on the likelihood of subsequent remission and relapse.