In this episode, we invite our good friend and colleague, Dr. Michael Couse, to discuss a recent paper that he and Dr. Kelly published in the academic journal, Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. The paper discusses the highly complicated (and often avoided) topic of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) for youths with serious mental illness, especially in California. There are many fears and myths surrounding ECT, and we hope to share this story with you to bring to light how lifesaving this procedure can be. 

Topics Discussed:

• Case presentation of a 15 year-old boy diagnosed with catatonia
• Obtaining substitute consent for a child who is catatonic
• Issues with California laws on ECT 
• Requirements for obtaining ECT treatment for youths in California
• The stigma of ECT preventing access to care
• The psychiatrist's role in educating ourselves and in advocacy 

Of note, full consent to discuss this case was obtained from the patient and the patient's family prior to publication of the case. 

Reference: 

Couse, M., Makhinson, M., & Kelly, P. (2024). Regulatory and Service System Challenges in Accessing Electroconvulsive Therapy for Catatonia in the Presence of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 63(3), 293–295. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2023.09.540 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37778726/ 

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