Florida CCHR Demands Total Ban on Electroconvulsive Therapy Following International Survey Revealing Widespread Harm

The Florida chapter of the Citizens Commission on Human Rights is intensifying its call for a total ban on electroconvulsive therapy following the release of a landmark international survey documenting widespread patient harm and systematic violations of informed consent. Psychiatrists prescribe ECT for approximately 100,000 people a year in the U.S. alone, yet the treatment's actual safety and long-term effectiveness remain unproven by rigorous clinical trials.

A 2025 survey published in the Journal of Medical Ethics—the largest of its kind with 1,144 ECT recipients and family members across 37 countries—found that the medical benefits of ECT are routinely exaggerated while risks are systematically downplayed. The survey revealed that 61% to 84% of ECT recipients reported memory loss, with more than half saying the loss lasted longer than three years. Additionally, 59% of recipients said they were not adequately informed before the procedure, and patients were nearly 4 times more likely to recall being told about temporary memory problems than permanent memory loss.

The findings have particular significance for children's health protections. In 2023, the World Health Organization and United Nations jointly stated that ECT "is not recommended for children, and this should be prohibited through legislation." Despite these international recommendations, children as young as five can still receive electroshock in the United States, with both the American Psychiatric Association and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry supporting its use in minors. Florida currently has no age restrictions on ECT use, though a bipartisan effort in the 2024 Florida legislative session sought to ban ECT on minors under 18.

While proponents claim modern ECT is safer than past versions, the FDA has never required manufacturers to conduct clinical trials proving safety and effectiveness. In December 2018, the FDA reclassified ECT devices from Class III to Class II for limited uses—including for patients as young as 13—despite thousands of public comments opposing the reclassification. A 2023 Florida jury found ECT device manufacturer Somatics had failed to warn patients about known risks, highlighting the legal implications of inadequate informed consent.

The practice of forced ECT remains a reality, as demonstrated by the 2021 case of Brian Henley, who was forcibly shocked at UF Health Shands Psychiatric Hospital after attempting to refuse treatment. A July 2025 Federal Reserve Bank of New York study found that individuals involuntarily hospitalized were nearly twice as likely to die by suicide or overdose within three months of discharge, raising serious questions about the safety of coercive psychiatric interventions.

CCHR has been at the forefront of legislative efforts to protect patients from ECT abuse for over five decades, with successes including California's 1976 ban on ECT for children under 12 and Texas's 1993 ban on ECT for those under 16. The organization now urges the FDA to remove ECT devices from the market, calls for insurance reform to stop coverage for ECT, and advocates for a national ban following international guidance. As Jan Eastgate, President of CCHR International, stated in her August 2025 UN testimony, "Upholding a person's autonomy, dignity, and liberty is non-negotiable."