Here is a list of “sound bites” put out by the American Psychiatric Association to use when talking with the media.

I think it will be fun to search all the media articles and see how many times they use these, in print and broadcast. I’ll report back after I’ve finished my research.
Sound Bites

• Today’s ECT bears no resemblance to its depiction  in the 1975 movie “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s  Nest.”

• ECT’s effectiveness in treating severe mental  illnesses is recognized by the American Psychiatric  Association, the American Medical Association,  the National Institute of Mental Health and  similar organizations in Canada, Great Britain  and elsewhere.

• The APA has published a new Task Force Report on ECT that takes into account the latest research in the field.

• The APA supports use of ECT only to treat severe, disabling mental disorders, never to control behavior.

• Psychiatrists are very selective in their use of ECT.  According to the National Institute of Mental  Health, about 36,500 hospitalized Americans  received ECT in 1986, the most recent year for which figures are available.

• Like all medical treatments, ECT can have side effects.

• These days, when ECT is administered, it is often the patient’s last hope.

Added: Aug 4, 2006 10:41 am | Trackback URI |  Email This Post  | Print