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Women and depression: Making meaning and decisions about electroconvulsive therapy
Abstract   Peer reviewed

Women and depression: Making meaning and decisions about electroconvulsive therapy

Karen-Ann Clarke
International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, pp.8-9
International Conference Australian College of Mental Health Nurses (ACMHN): Mental Health Nurses: shifting culture, leading change, 41st (Brisbane, Australia, 06-Oct-2015–09-Oct-2015)
2015
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/inm.12172
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https://doi.org/10.1111/inm.12172View
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Abstract

Nursing Public Health and Health Services Psychology
Within the next 15 years, it has been projected that depression will become one of the leading causes of global death and disability (WHO 2012). In Australia, more individuals suffer from depression than any other mental health disorder. For some types of depression, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is an effective treatment option; however,it remains a controversial procedure that is associated with significant adverse effects such as cognitive impairment and memory loss.Women experience depression across their life span more often than men do, and they also receive ECT in higher numbers. To date, previous research has not highlighted the impact of gender upon the experience of receiving ECT as a treatment for depression. The experiences of women and how they make decisions with regard to their mental health care has been given insufficient attention.This in turn has created a situation where little is known about the clinical practice of ECT and informed decision-making, especially with regard to social, economic, cultural,political, and medical forces that influence decision-making processes in those who live with mental illness.Using a feminist methodology and a narrative inquiry, women's experiences with depression will be highlighted and the socio-political context of their decision-making in regard to ECT will be examined.The implications from the findings of this research may provide a deeper understanding of the possible costs for some women seeking help in mental health systems of care and how women actively participate in determining their own care.A particular focus of the presentation will be on how the research topic has influenced the methodological approach taken with the research. As such, the possibility of the research conversations being a space for women to be heard and perhaps empowered in their contact with complex mental health systems and treatments is outlined. The researchers own professional experiences with women receiving ECT are also presented as a space for interrogation.

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