A woman has been left unable to recall her wedding day or formative moments in her children’s lives after undergoing electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) on the NHS, raising urgent questions about the risks of a treatment that is still given to around 2,500 people in the UK every year.
A Life Erased: Lisa Morrison’s Story
Lisa Morrison, 52, from Northern Ireland, received ECT six times between 2009 and 2016 as part of treatment for depression. She says the procedure, which sends electric currents through the brain to induce a brief seizure, caused lasting harm rather than relief. “Sometimes I find it very distressing, especially when I think about my children and their early years,” she said. “It’s something else that was taken from me, from people who were meant to help me.”
Before being offered ECT, Ms Morrison was taking antipsychotics, antidepressants, three tranquillisers and sleeping tablets. She recalls that she was still attending the emergency department, self-harming and feeling suicidal, so “it clearly wasn’t working, but they kept giving it to me”. It was only a few years after the treatments ended that she became aware of the extent of her memory loss. “I was so unwell at the time, my life was a blur. I was separated from my husband for five years; he had to look after the kids because I was just so unwell,” she explained. “I moved back in with him and my kids in 2018, and I began to realise there were large portions of my life that I didn’t remember. He would talk about things I didn’t remember; our wedding day, significant events in my children’s lives.”
Her husband, Gary Morrison, described the change in his wife after the treatment. “After treatment, she seemed to regress to a childlike state; her extreme fragility and vulnerability meant she had to be carefully nurtured. I was desperate for something to help her.” He added that ECT “diminished so much of the essence of what made my wife who she was”. In 2020, Ms Morrison was diagnosed with complex post-traumatic stress disorder and a dissociative disorder.
Broader Research Reveals Extensive Harms
Ms Morrison’s experience is not isolated. A study co-authored by her alongside clinical psychologists at the University of East London surveyed 286 relatives and friends of ECT recipients across 22 countries. Published in the journal Psychology and Psychotherapy Theory Research and Practice, the findings paint a stark picture: while 45 per cent of respondents reported an improvement after ECT, 42 per cent believed the treatment had made the patient’s problem worse. Two-thirds said it diminished the patient’s quality of life, and 34 per cent believed it caused brain damage.
Research into ECT’s side effects goes beyond memory loss. A study in the International Journal of Mental Health identified 25 additional concerning side effects, including cardiovascular problems, fatigue and emotional blunting. Among participants, 76.4 per cent reported emotional blunting, 68 per cent reported relationship problems, 86 per cent had difficulty concentrating, 80 per cent experienced fatigue, and 72 per cent reported loss of vocabulary. More recent international surveys suggest memory loss can be extensive and permanent: one study indicated that 82 per cent of participants reported significant and often permanent cognitive damage, while another found that between 61 and 84 per cent of patients reported memory loss as a consequence of ECT, with a majority saying the effects lasted at least three years.
John Read, professor of clinical psychology at the University of East London and co-author of the study, believes the treatment should be “immediately suspended”. He noted that no placebo-controlled trials of ECT have been conducted since 1985 and argued there is insufficient evidence to prove it works. A 2010 literature review he co-authored concluded that ECT had minimal benefits for people with depression and schizophrenia, and argued that its use “cannot be scientifically justified” given the risks of brain dysfunction and a slight but significant increased risk of death. Professor Read suggested alternative treatments such as cognitive behavioural therapy could help people if they are seen early enough. “These findings highlight the necessity to be fully transparent about the efficacy and risks of ECT to both patients and relatives. Without this level of detail, the consent provided by patients and their loved ones may not meet the requirements of informed consent,” he said.
Concerns Over Informed Consent and Gender Disparity
Ms Morrison has described ignoring the “severely disabling effects” of ECT as a “human rights failing”. Her views are echoed by evidence that informed consent procedures are often inadequate. A study found that 36 per cent of patients underwent ECT without providing consent. In 2023, multiple MPs called for a ban or suspension of ECT, demanding an “urgent and comprehensive review” due to fears over irreversible brain damage and the treatment’s disproportionate use on women. Figures from NHS trusts in England showed that in 2019, about two-thirds of all ECT patients were women – a trend that has remained stable, with a 2021 report showing approximately 66 per cent of those receiving acute ECT were female. Researchers have suggested this disparity may reflect “over-medicalising human distress”, given that gender inequality and heightened exposure to adversity are strongly linked to depression rates in women.
Mental health charity Mind has also raised concerns. Its information content manager, Rosie Weatherley, said: “The evidence base for ECT has never been fit for purpose and this latest study further substantiates the need for a rethink about whether and when this treatment is offered to patients.” Mind claimed some people are offered ECT before other treatments such as talking therapies, which is against guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
Official Responses: NICE and Government
A NICE spokesperson responded to the concerns, stating: “ECT is recommended only in restricted circumstances when other treatments have not worked, or when a condition is potentially life-threatening. It is not a routine or first-line treatment. Before ECT is considered and offered, clinicians must weigh up the individual risks and benefits, including the potential for cognitive impairment. Where patients have capacity, consent must be given freely and without coercion, and they must be made aware of their right to withdraw it at any time. In cases where a patient lacks capacity, any decision to proceed with treatment is made within a strict legal framework and must comply with relevant legislation. We keep our guidance under review as new evidence emerges.”
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “Our thoughts are with anyone who has experienced harm or distressing side effects following ECT. Patient safety is paramount to us and we take all accounts of this kind incredibly seriously. It is NICE who is responsible for issuing national guidance and advice and ensuring that this reflects the best available evidence. Clinical guidance from NICE is clear that patients must be fully informed of the risks and side effects before any decision is made, and that appropriate precautions must be taken throughout.”
The World Health Organization and the United Nations confirmed in a 2023 report that anyone offered ECT should be informed of all its risks, including memory loss and brain damage. Despite the mounting evidence of harm and calls from MPs and academics for a suspension, ECT remains available on the NHS for patients with severe depression and catatonia.