Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)

ECT is used mainly in the treatment of severe depressive episodes. It involves the passage of an electric current across the head of a person to produce a convulsion. The treatment is painless, as the individual is given general anaesthetic and muscle relaxant before and during ECT. It is used when antidepressant medication has not been effective, the severity of symptoms means it is not possible to wait for the effects of such medication to become apparent, or the side-effects to or risks associated with medication make ECT the most appropriate treatment option.

ECT by its very nature arouses anxiety in patients and families as well as a high degree of interest from the public despite numerous reviews of published studies showing ECT is a safe and important treatment option. Because of this high level of public interest the Government agreed to a Health Select Committee recommendation for a comprehensive review of New Zealand and overseas literature and of legislation to ascertain the effectiveness and safety of ECT and of the regulations surrounding the use of this treatment.


Independent review of ECT

The independent review of the medical evidence for ECT concluded that its use is appropriate for treating some serious mental disorders, and banning its use would deprive some seriously ill patients of a potentially effective and sometimes lifesaving means of treatment.

The review group considered the current regulatory controls for ECT needed to change. They recommend that where possible ECT use should only be administered with the patient’s consent, noting that patients should be able to refuse treatment in advance when regarded as competent to make this decision.


ECT delivery audit

In mid-2002 the Ministry of Health established baseline data on the quality of ECT delivery. The audit concluded that ECT is being delivered safely in New Zealand, while highlighting areas of service delivery that could be improved. Already changes have been implemented as a result of feedback provided from the audit to District Health Boards.

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Document availability

These publications are not available in hard copy. They are only available on this website in the Word and PDF formats below.

Electroconvulsive Therapy Audit Report
Electroconvulsive Therapy Audit Report (Word, 194 kB)
Electroconvulsive Therapy Audit Report (PDF, 121 kB)

Use of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in New Zealand: A review of efficacy, safety, and regulatory controls
Use of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in New Zealand: A review of efficacy, safety, and regulatory controls (PDF, 219 kB)

A review of the literature, the Acts of Parliament and relevant current practices on regulation of the use of ECT in New Zealand and in other like nations
A review of the literature, the Acts of Parliament and relevant current practices on regulation of the use of ECT in New Zealand and in other like nations (PDF, 417 kB)
Appendix 1 - United Nations Principles for the Protection of Persons with Mental Illness and for the Improvement of Mental Health Care (1991) (PDF, 55 kB)
Appendix 2 - Electroconvulsive Therapy: Law, History and Practice (PDF, 2.94 MB) - Warning large file size


This publication has been converted to Adobe's Portable Document Format (PDF).Go to information on downloading and viewing PDFs.

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Related information

Mental Health

Electroconvulsive therapy for serious mental disorders given OK (22/03/2005)
An independent report into electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) recommends its continued use as a safe and effective treatment particularly for severe depression, though it recommends some regulatory changes.


Electro-convulsive therapy review announced (22/12/2003)
Ministry of Health Director-General Dr Karen Poutasi today announced the membership of an independent review of electro-convulsive therapy that will be carried out in line with health select committee recommendations made earlier in the year.

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