Glenside Hospital's role in the introduction of electroconvulsive therapy and psychosurgery to Australian psychiatry

Abstract

Objective: This paper records the introduction of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and psychosurgery to Australia at Parkside Mental Hospital (present day Glenside Hospital) in South Australia. Method: A review of treatment provided at Glenside Hospital since its inception in 1870. Results: The desperate plight of patients and the limited array of interventions leading up to the introduction of ECT and psychosurgery are noted. Their introduction and the early results from the treatments are described. Conclusion: Glenside Hospital, as Parkside Mental Hospital, pioneered the use of ECT and psychosurgery in Australia. Key words: Australia, electroconvulsive therapy, history, psychiatry, psychosurgery.