Madam, - I am following the shock therapy debate in your paper from the other side of the world. This controversial topic raises strong feelings on both sides. It is best, therefore, to stick to the empirical evidence.
In 2004 I published a review of 60 years of research. There is not a single study demonstrating that electrocuting people's brains in order to cause a seizure has any beneficial effects that last longer than three weeks, and then only for a very small minority of patients.
There are many studies, however, which show - perhaps not surprisingly - that it can cause long-term brain damage in the form of memory dysfunction.
I conclude, therefore, that it is the defence of shock therapy by senior psychiatrists Drs Walsh, Barry and O'Connell (June 28th) that is misleading and not the original article by Dr Michael Corry criticising shock therapy.
In New Zealand a recent public campaign by professionals and patients to ban this therapy, while only partially successful, has reduced the annual number of such treatments from about 900 in 1999 to about 300 last year. I hope it will soon be confined, internationally, to the historical dustbin with other psychiatric absurdities (all defended by senior psychiatrists of the time) such as lobotomies, surprise baths and rotating chairs. - Yours, etc,
Dr JOHN READ,
Clinical Psychologist,
University of Auckland,
New Zealand.