title: Resolution of severe suicidality with a single electroconvulsive therapy.
abstract: Electroconvulsive therapy is a rapid and effective treatment of severe depression that has been shown to quickly decrease or eliminate suicidal thoughts and behaviors. We describe the case of an 88-year-old man hospitalized for a carefully premeditated suicide attempt with highly lethal means. He was treated with a single electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and improved markedly. His suicidal ideation remitted, and the patient was still free of suicidal ideation at 5 months of follow-up. We discuss the effect of ECT on suicidal ideation, the benefit of minimizing the number of total ECT treatments, and the possible biological markers of change after a single treatment in an ECT-naive patient.
authors.affiliation: Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Jamal
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kobeissi
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aloysi
authors.forename: Kristen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tobias
authors.forename: Dennis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Popeo
authors.forename: Charles H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Kellner
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003863:Depression / Q000628:therapy*; D004565:Electroconvulsive Therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016896:Treatment Outcome