ECT proved ‘beneficial’ for man who refused to eat

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has proven beneficial to a man who had refused to eat while detained in hospital, the High Court has been told.

The 62-year-old man is being detained in a hospital, where he had been refusing food and medication and was uncommunicative.

Last April, the HSE got High Court permission to force-feed him and also administer ECT while he was under general anaesthesia.

ECT is a treatment for mental illness in which small electric currents are passed through the brain.

When the case returned before the President of the High Court, Mr Justice Peter Kelly, he was told the 12 ECT sessions were complete and had been beneficial to the man.

‘Beneficial’

The first six sessions of ECT had proved beneficial and the court had been satisfied doctors should proceed with the second six sessions, which were completed on June 3rd.

The psychiatric evidence was that the sessions had been very beneficial, with significant improvements, particularly since the second round of sessions, the judge said.

The man is now eating and drinking, taking all prescribed medications, communicating and even singing and watching football, the judge said.

Doctors said it would be to the man’s benefit to stay in hospital for another four to 12 weeks .

The judge said he was prepared to adjourn the case for a month to allow for another progress report.