Citation

Kobeissi J, Aloysi A, Tobias K, Popeo D, Kellner CH. J. ECT 2011; 27(1): 86-88.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1097/YCT.0b013e3181da842a

PMID

21343715

Abstract

Electroconvulsive therapy is a rapid and effective treatment of severe depression that has been shown to quickly decrease or eliminate suicidal thoughts and behaviors. We describe the case of an 88-year-old man hospitalized for a carefully premeditated suicide attempt with highly lethal means. He was treated with a single electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and improved markedly. His suicidal ideation remitted, and the patient was still free of suicidal ideation at 5 months of follow-up. We discuss the effect of ECT on suicidal ideation, the benefit of minimizing the number of total ECT treatments, and the possible biological markers of change after a single treatment in an ECT-naive patient.

Language: en

Keywords

Humans; Male; Depression; Aged, 80 and over; Treatment Outcome; Suicide, Attempted; Electroconvulsive Therapy