ECT in Bipolar Disorder: Incidence of Switch from Depression to Hypomania or Mania

Bipolar depression is a serious psychiatric condition with a high rate of completed suicide if not treated effectively [1]. Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) is a rapid and effective treatment for bipolar depression [2,3]. There has been limited research, however, examining the rate of “switching” from depression to hypomania or mania during ECT in patients with bipolar disorder (BP), or the clinical characteristics and ECT treatment parameters associated with switching. A switch from depression to hypomania/mania is an important phenomenon to understand as destabilization of a bipolar patient’s mood may lead to more cycling in the future, as it has been shown in the Antidepressant (AD) induced switching literature [4]. Therefore, understanding more about the risk of ECT induced hypomania/mania in depressed bipolar patients is salient to clinicians.