Electroconvulsive Therapy Helps Reduce Suicide Risk in Bipolar Patients

ECT (Electroconvulsive Therapy) was found to decrease suicide risk by 84% in high-risk bipolar patients, revealed a study published in The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry.

ECT was invented in Italy, but there are few clinics which offer treatment nowadays. Six hundred seventy patients were referred to the University of Pisa psychiatry clinic for ECT treatment for bipolar disorder between January 2006 and July 2019.

Bipolar Disorder-Causes-Risk Factors-Types-Symptoms-Treatment-Complications-FAQs
Bipolar Disorder is a brain disorder in which people show “mood swings”. Changes in the level of neurotransmitters in brain, and psychosocial factors are thought to be involved.

‘Electroconvulsive therapy can reduce suicide risk and allow most bipolar patients affected by the treatment-resistant bipolar disease to return to a more normal life.’

ECT for Bipolar Disorder

Participants selected for the group had tried five different drugs for their bipolar condition without success.
77 of the patients in the study were classified as being at severe suicide risk.
After treatment with ECT, only two patients remained at severe suicide risk.
65 showed no suicide risk at all.
ECT was found to be promising in treating bipolar sufferers with remission rates of over 60% for symptoms characteristic of bipolar "mixed states".

Electroconvulsive therapy

Modern ECT is given under general anesthetic and helps treat major depression. Given 2 to 3 times per week, with between 6 and 16 treatments needed to show a positive effect.

Declining Access to Electroconvulsive Therapy
Since its introduction in the 1930s, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has evolved into a more refined, but more expensive and extensively regulated clinical procedure.

"ECT is used for major depression, but much less so for the other phases of Bipolar Disorder, especially for so-called mixed states, which have lower visibility. We find that many patients with treatment-resistant bipolar catatonic and mixed states are misdiagnosed as having schizophrenia. These patients need to be given a chance via receiving the right treatment," said Giulio Brancati.

Despite the long-term evidence, ECT is still viewed as a controversial treatment by the general public and the media. Commenting, Dr Henricus Ruhe, psychiatrist at Radboudumc Netherlands, and Chair of the ECNP Abstract and Poster Committee, said: "This is also the case in Italy where very few centres can offer ECT nowadays.This prejudice against modern ECT unjustly stigmatizes both patients and psychiatry, and denies treatment to seriously-ill patients".

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What is Bipolar Disorder?

Bipolar disorder is a brain disorder in which people show “mood swings”. Changes in the level of neurotransmitters in brain and psychosocial factors are thought to be involved. It affects around 1% of Europeans, meaning that approximately 5 million Europeans suffer. The disorder causes mixed states of mania and depression, leading to increased suicide risk.

Genetic Risk in Bipolar Disorder and Psychosis Identified, Study
Genetic factors play an important role in the development of bipolar disorder and psychoses among people with depression. This knowledge can be used in clinical practice to identify patients who should are at higher risk of developing these mental conditions, and they should be monitored more closely.

Means to Prevent the Burden of Suicide

Suicides are a preventable cause of death, which can be catered to with effective measures at the population, sub-population, and individual levels. Few measures include:

Restricting access to means of suicides like pesticides, medications, or firearms
Interventions at school, work, and homes
Identifying and addressing mental disorders like depression, bipolar disorder
Addressing alcohol and substance abuse
Removing stigma against mental health and suicide
Follow-up care and counseling for people who have attempted suicide

Source-Medindia