Electroconvulsive Therapy, or ECT, has been around for centuries with limited or detrimental effects on its users.
Florida still allows the use of ECT on adults and children as a last resort measure when dealing with severe mental health issues. Unfortunately, no one is monitoring what constitutes a last resort, and no one can justify or confirm the results for ECT use because the State collects no data. The misuse of ECT ends this session.
Senator Rosalind Osgood (D-Tamarac) and Representative Carolina Amesty (R-Orlando) have filed bills SB 252 and HB 255 to ban ECT use on anyone under 18.
“Florida’s children deserve better when looking at the issues dealing with mental and behavioral health than an archaic and possibly dangerous treatment,” said Senator Osgood regarding the ban. “Medical advances allow for additional treatment models never considered when ECT was discovered. I believe Florida needs to protect our children from ECT and its detrimental side effects on children.”
“In Florida, we prioritize the well-being and safety of our children above all else. As we advance in medical knowledge and techniques, we must ensure that all medical interventions provided, especially to our youngest citizens, are both current and evidence-based. With inconclusive data on the long-term impacts of ECT, our duty is clear: to protect our children from potential harm and advocate for transparency in every step of their care,” said Representative Amesty.
