by Jim Hajny, Executive Director
April 9, 2024
Idaho legislature set to pass bill on electroconvulsive therapy for 12 year olds.
This came across my desk from the national coalition on mental health recovery. I had to read it a couple of times to make sure I understood what it said. If you click on the link below you can read the Idaho bill text which would allow for electroconvulsive treatment on children. Yes, children. Whenever I see something like this I am reminded how far we still have to go to eliminate stigma around mental illness, treatment and recovery. After reading this through here is my takeaway.
The argument for this bill which does have the votes to pass the Idaho legislature, is that electroconvulsive treatment for “adults” is effective for those who are resistant to medication. The argument against…it says “12 years old” not 18 years old. It goes onto say any parent or guardian can consent to electroconvulsive treatment for their child.
Reality Check!
How can a 12 year old be resistant to medication? They are 12. Second who would electrocute their 12 year old? Would that be considered child abuse? Should the doctor call CPS? What does an electro pulse do to a child’s developing brain long term? Do we know? We don’t know as much as would like about mental illness. As a result, we do not have very effective treatment. Electroconvulsive therapy is controversial because it has been used without consent. This was illustrated in the movie, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975) based on Ken Kesey’s novel. It was used as punishment not as treatment. As a person who was diagnosed with severe depression in my early twenties, I would never consent to such an extreme ‘treatment”. But some people feel it’s effective. When I was psychiatrically hospitalized early in my recovery I was threated by staff and I observed other patients be threatened by staff with seclusion and restraint. AKA the “quiet room” or “being strapped down." These are practices that should be stopped. They are not therapeutic or helpful and can be traumatic to those of us with mental health conditions. I am going to add forced medication here which is also common practice. The Geneva Convention rules of prisoners of war does not allow for such treatment or medical care. Yet, we allow this every day in America.
I have no issue with an adult consenting to electroconvulsive therapy. Carrie Fisher, Princess Leia, utilized electroconvulsive therapy for her severe depression and said in her autobiography it helped her. She was an adult at the time. Not a teen. Just because we do not understand mental illness does not mean we should harm others. My suggestion to the people of Idaho. Send your legislators who voted for this to trauma informed training so they can better understand the impact it can have and what may cause harm.