How
many treatments are needed?
A course of ECT usually involves between six and
twelve treatments given two or three times each
week. Patients are usually admitted to hospital,
especially if their illness is severe, but many
people are safely and successfully treated as
outpatients. For those patients whose depression
has never responded to medication and whose illness
is likely to recur, fortnightly or monthly treatments
(maintenance ECT) can be very successful in keeping
them well.
