BENGALURU: To break the stigma associated with Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) or shock treatment, the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) opened an exhibition explaining what ECT entails and how it is used in treating psychiatric disorders by administering controlled amounts of current.
The exhibition, open to the public on all working days from 9 am to 4.30 pm, for two months, aims to blur the societal stigma surrounding mental health as it often leads individuals experiencing mental health challenges to neglect seeking treatment.
Dr Preeti Sinha, in-charge of ECT services at the Department of Psychiatry said, “Patients often discard ECT as an option and are hesitant to discuss it due to the belief that undergoing shock treatment signifies abnormality and an inability to recover. This societal stigma, rooted in the historical lack of awareness about such treatments, makes it challenging for individuals to accept and adapt to ECT.”
Through the oldest model of ECT, Dr Preeti demonstrated the process where the current is administered in small amounts for a few seconds to the patient.
Highlighting the figures, Dr Preeti said that about 7,890 ECT sessions were administered between 2022 and 2023. These statistics illustrate a growing awareness of mental health issues among individuals, although it also underscores the considerable distance yet to be traversed in addressing such challenges.
The exhibition, conducted at the NIMHANS Heritage Museum, spotlighted five stories from individuals of various ages and professional backgrounds who had undergone ECT, sharing their personal experiences. In addition, there were movie posters portraying ECT in a negative light, juxtaposed with posters depicting the treatment service accurately.