THURSDAY , 24 APRIL 2003

By MICHELLE BROOKER

The Ministry of Health admits it does not have accurate figures on the use of electric shock treatment in New Zealand.

The use of ECT in New Zealand is under scrutiny after Parliament’s health select committee asked the Government to review its safety and effectiveness following a 3000 signature petition from the Patients Advocacy Group in Hamilton.

Ministry of Health figures show the number of people receiving electro convulsive shock therapy (ECT) jumped from 209 in 1995 to 713 in 1999 but more recent figures are not available.

The ministry’s deputy director of mental health, Anthony Duncan, said the figures to 1999 were “meaningless” because district health boards had collected the data in different ways.

The ministry did not have accurate ECT rates, he said.

He would not disclose ECT figures collected during a ministry audit of ECT procedures last year but said about 400 people had received ECT in the 12 months to the end of June 2002. Over all there had been 3500 treatments in that time,” he said.

“ECT is used on clinical grounds. One year you might not use any. It fluctuates on different patients. Different psychiatrists use it more frequently. ECT is used a hell of a lot less than it was 30 to 40 years ago.”

Auckland University clinical psychology director Dr John Read said the ministry collected ECT figures but was “choosing” not to release them.

“It is interesting that the ministry keeps denying there has been an increase and in the same breath say they don’t keep any figures,” he said. The ministry was embarrased that ECT use had risen in New Zealand while it had halved in Britain.

Dr Read said the guidelines currently in place for ECT were not working. “We have a very medicalised health service,” he said. “If the drugs don’t work, try electricity. If we could get beyond that approach to mental health problems … you can’t treat loneliness with chemicals and electricity.”

Research also showed that people who had had ECT suffered memory loss or trouble remembering new information.

“What makes me angry is that the `experts’ repeatedly dismiss that,” he said. “I think in a few years time we will look back on ECT the same way we look back at other bizarre treatments like lobotomies,” Dr Read said.

Dr Duncan said ECT was very effective and was mainly used in elderly people with severe depression.

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