Waves of Hope is a new book published by The Royal College of Psychiatrists and Cambridge University Press. It is written by 11 patients who have had Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT), or by their relatives. They describe their extreme emotions, suicidal feelings, details of the psychotic experiences that can accompany severe depression. Most of them had to wait for many months before ECT was prescribed. Different ranges of outcomes are presented, from quick recovery to relapsing courses that require maintenance ECT. The authors shared their stories with the aim to reduce the stigma surrounding ECT and educate the public about it.
Five of the authors will give presentations of their journeys through ECT, as described in their chapters. They will then answer questions from the audience.
Learning objectives
In this session you will:
- Learn about the worries and feeling of severely ill patients who are considering ECT
- Challenge the hesitancy of some mental health professionals about prescribing ECT, and thus allow more patients to receive ECT when this is the right treatment for them
- Gain further knowledge about the outcomes from ECT.
Speakers
Chair: Professor George Kirov, Cardiff University, Cardiff
Mrs Jan Giles, West Yorkshire NHS Integrated Health Board, Leeds
Dr Tania Gergel, Bipolar UK, London
Mrs Ruth Roberts
Mrs Karen Peckover, Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust, Leicester
Mrs Sally Thompson and Mr Paul Spencer
Availability
This webinar is part of the Congress webinar 2025 package. If you attended all four days of Congress, you will have access to these as part of your Congress package. Otherwise the Congress webinar 2025 package can be purchased below.
