“At one time, the idea of restoring functioning for patients with treatment-resistant depressive disorders was considered unrealistic,” says Kurt Stuebben, MD, board certified psychiatrist and Director of ECT at Princeton House. “Our modern expectation is that we can do better. Utilizing ECT is one way of enabling patients to resume pursuing professional, social, and personal goals that they might have given up on due to depression.”
Dr. Stuebben’s extensive experience in psychotherapy, psychopharmacology, and ECT contributes to his objectivity in determining which patients may be successful ECT candidates. He notes that the treatment can be particularly effective for:
- Patients who have not responded to various psychiatric medications in combination with psychotherapy
- Those with long-term depression since childhood who have never experienced relief
- Elderly patients, as they tend to be more intolerant of medication side effects and are at greater risk for drug interactions
Typically, a patient receives six ECT treatments over a period of two weeks to start, followed by additional treatments depending on the individual response. Some patients may experience short-term memory loss after the treatment, but it is closely monitored and generally persists only for a day, Dr. Stuebben explains.
“In some cases, patients who have never done well after decades of treatment can experience relief with just one course of ECT,” says Dr. Stuebben. “In fact, many patients wish they had tried it earlier.”
Reopening with Added Safety Measures
The Princeton House ECT suite is now fully reopened for inpatients and outpatients. Facility updates have been made to ensure the safety of patients, staff, and physicians during the COVID-19 pandemic. For more information about ECT services, visit princetonhouse.org/ECT or call 609.613.4780.
