Clinical and Legal Differences in the Use of Involuntary Electroconvulsive Therapy for Life-Threatening Illness Across European Countries.

Objectives: Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) can be life-saving in situations where patients are at risk of dying from severe manifestations of psychiatric illness. In some of these cases, patients are unwilling/unable to consent to ECT, and involuntary ECT is required. Such use of involuntary ECT varies substantially across European countries for unclear reasons.