"NICE has looked carefully at the evidence and has recommended that ECT should only be used for the treatment of severe depressive illness, a prolonged or severe episode of mania, or catatonia if the conditions described in the following paragraphs are applied.
ECT should be used to gain fast and short-term improvement of severe symptoms after all other treatment options have failed, or when the situation is thought to be life-threatening.
A risk–benefit assessment for the individual should be made and documented. It should include the risks associated with the anaesthetic, whether the person has other illnesses, the possible adverse effects of ECT (particularly problems with memory), and the risks of not having treatment."
"NICE has looked carefully at the evidence and has recommended that ECT should only be used for the treatment of severe depressive illness, a prolonged or severe episode of mania, or catatonia if the conditions described in the following paragraphs are applied. ECT should be used to gain fast and short-term improvement of severe symptoms after all other treatment options have failed, or when the situation is thought to be life-threatening. A risk–benefit assessment for the individual should be made and documented. It should include the risks associated with the anaesthetic, whether the person has other illnesses, the possible adverse effects of ECT (particularly problems with memory), and the risks of not having treatment."