Child and adolescent psychiatrists in the U.S. have issued a policy statement advocating for broader access to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) for minors, despite international bodies like the World Health Organization and the United Nations Human Rights Office calling for a complete ban on ECT for children. ECT involves passing up to 460 volts of electricity through the brain to induce seizures, which can alter brain structure and function, posing significant risks to developing brains. The Citizens Commission on Human Rights International (CCHR) strongly condemns the psychiatrists’ stance, labeling it medically reckless and morally indefensible, and is urging lawmakers to outlaw ECT on children as a form of child abuse.

This push by child psychiatrists to expand ECT use on minors comes amid growing global condemnation and legal efforts to restrict or ban the practice for children. The psychiatrists oppose any legal or legislative attempts to block access to ECT, despite the serious risks involved. The controversy highlights a stark divide between some mental health professionals advocating for ECT as a treatment option and human rights organizations demanding its prohibition to protect vulnerable children from potential harm.