Editing Electroconvulsive therapy (section)

====Efficacy====
A [[meta-analysis]] on the effectiveness of ECT in unipolar and bipolar depression indicated that although patients with [[unipolar depression]] and [[bipolar depression]] responded to other medical treatments very differently, both groups responded equally well to ECT. Overall [[Remission (medicine)|remission]] rate for patients given a round of ECT treatment was 50.9% for those with unipolar depression and 53.2% for those with bipolar depression. Most severely depressed patients respond to ECT.<ref name="Dierckx Heijnen van den Broek Birkenhäger 2012 pp. 146–150">{{cite journal | vauthors = Dierckx B, Heijnen WT, van den Broek WW, Birkenhäger TK | title = Efficacy of electroconvulsive therapy in bipolar versus unipolar major depression: a meta-analysis | journal = Bipolar Disorders | volume = 14 | issue = 2 | pages = 146–150 | date = March 2012 | pmid = 22420590 | doi = 10.1111/j.1399-5618.2012.00997.x | publisher = Wiley | s2cid = 44280002 }}</ref>

In 2004, a meta-analysis found in terms of efficacy, "a significant superiority of ECT in all comparisons: ECT versus simulated ECT, ECT versus [[placebo]], ECT versus antidepressants in general, ECT versus tricyclics and ECT versus [[monoamine oxidase inhibitor]]s."<ref name="pmid15087991">{{cite journal | vauthors = Pagnin D, de Queiroz V, Pini S, Cassano GB | title = Efficacy of ECT in depression: a meta-analytic review | journal = The Journal of ECT | volume = 20 | issue = 1 | pages = 13–20 | date = March 2004 | pmid = 15087991 | doi = 10.1097/00124509-200403000-00004 | s2cid = 25843283 }}</ref>

In 2003, the UK ECT Review Group published a [[systematic review]] and meta-analysis comparing ECT to [[placebo]] and antidepressant drugs. This meta-analysis demonstrated a large effect size (high efficacy relative to the mean in terms of the [[standard deviation]]) for ECT versus placebo, and versus antidepressant drugs.<ref name=":0">{{cite journal | vauthors = ((UK ECT Review Group)) | title = Efficacy and safety of electroconvulsive therapy in depressive disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis | journal = Lancet | volume = 361 | issue = 9360 | pages = 799–808 | date = March 2003 | pmid = 12642045 | doi = 10.1016/S0140-6736(03)12705-5 | s2cid = 28964580 }}</ref>

Compared with [[repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation]] (rTMS) for people with treatment-resistant major depressive disorder, ECT relieves depression as shown by reducing the score on the [[Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression]] by about 15 points, while rTMS reduced it by 9 points.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Micallef-Trigona B | title = Comparing the effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation and electroconvulsive therapy in the treatment of depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis | journal = Depression Research and Treatment | volume = 2014 | pages = 135049 | year = 2014 | pmid = 25143831 | pmc = 4131106 | doi = 10.1155/2014/135049 | doi-access = free }}</ref>

Other estimates regarding the response rate in treatment resistant depression vary between 60–80%, with a remission rate of 50–60%.<ref name="Espinoza 2022">{{cite journal |last1=Espinoza |first1=Randall T. |last2=Kellner |first2=Charles H. |title=Electroconvulsive Therapy |journal=New England Journal of Medicine |date=17 February 2022 |volume=386 |issue=7 |pages=667–672 |doi=10.1056/NEJMra2034954|pmid=35172057 }}</ref> In addition to reducing symptoms of depression and inducing relapse, ECT has also been shown to reduce the risk of suicide, improve functional outcomes and quality of life as well as reduce the risk of re-hospitalization.<ref name="Espinoza 2022" /> Efficacy does not depend on depression subtype.<ref name="Psychiatry p."/> With regards to treatment resistant schizophrenia, the response rate is 40–70%.<ref name="Espinoza 2022" />