Treatments of Uni Polar depression

PHYSIOLOGICAL TREATMENT

ECT - Electro, Convulsive Therapy

Biological psychologist believe that depression has a pysical cause
-Genetic
-problems with neuro anatomy
-Chemical imbalances
-or viral basis

Electro Convlsive Therapy works by intereupting the electrical impulses in the brain

after epilecics recoverd from fit were in a happy mood it was thought that the seizure bought about an electical storm in brain that boosted mood

Ceretti & Bini 1938 began using electic shock, a current was passed through brain to cause seizure 

was origonally done while patients were awake which led to violent physical movements causing brusies and fractures unethical and painful treatment however nowadays done under anaestetc with use of muscle relaxent

The treatment consists of
-trigered seizures lasting between 20 and 50 seconds
-6-9 treatments over a month
now only used as last resort 

FInk 1985 found that it its effective of over 60 % of psychotice-depressive patients
40% dont work, cause more harm ?

Yanicak et al also found that ECT was more effective than drug treatments as 80% of depressed patients responded well to ECT compared to 64% who…