Reasons for referral for electroconvulsive therapy: a comparison between adolescents and adults

Objective: In order to improve our understanding of the use of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in adolescent patients, we aimed to evaluate the reasons for referral for ECT in different age groups. Method: We compared the reasons for adolescent and adult referrals by a retrospective file review of 13 consecutive adolescents and 56 consecutive adults treated in our ECT unit during a 5-year period. Results: There was a significant association between age group and reason for referral. Non-response to pharmacotherapy was a significantly more common reason among adults. Adolescents were mainly referred due to catatonia and suicidal behaviour. Conclusion: Our results support the need to study reasons for referral to ECT, beyond non-response to pharmacotherapy, especially in adolescent patients.