The portrayal of ECT in American movies.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the portrayal of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in American films. This has not been systematically studied previously, despite some notorious ECT scenes in the history of American cinema and the impact of films on audiences.

METHOD: All movies depicting or making reference to ECT were identified from a number of sources. Available movies were viewed on at least two occasions.

RESULTS: 22 films, beginning with The Snake Pit and ending with Requiem for a Dream, portraying or making reference to ECT were made between 1948 and 2000. 20 (91%) of these movies were obtained and viewed.

CONCLUSION: Having commenced its movie career as a severe but helpful remedy for personal distress, ECT on film has become a progressively more negative and cruel treatment, leaving the impression of a brutal, harmful, and abusive maneuver with no therapeutic benefit.