With electroshock now banned for minors in Ireland, several U.S. states, and Western Australia, the global response must be to eliminate its use for all ages. In May, Ireland banned the use of electroshock treatment on minors under its Mental Health Law.[1] This now safeguards those younger than 18 from the brutal practice that delivers … Read more
Hundreds remain traumatized by electro-skin shocks, as the FDA delays banning a device described by the United Nations and patients as torture. The inaction highlights the broader failure to also ban electroshock (ECT) devices. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has passed its deadline to ban the electrical stimulation device (ESD), commonly known as the … Read more
Exposed: Forced Electroshock on Minors, Misleading Claims That 460 Volts Through the Brain Is Safer Than Childbirth or a Dentist Visit; Concerns Extend to Psychiatric Drugs Linked to 720 Deaths in Acts of Senseless Violence Citizens Commission on Human Rights International and its Bay Area chapters protested outside the American Psychiatric Association’s annual convention at … Read more
With FOIA data showing children as young as five subjected to electroshock in the U.S., CCHR International condemns calls to override WHO guidance labeling child and non-consensual shock treatment as torture and demands a legislative ban. CCHR International strongly rejects a recent joint statement issued on March 31, 2026, by the World, European, and American … Read more
A national coalition of health and human rights advocates, attorneys, and ECT survivors unite to expose the FDA’s flawed ECT rule and call for federal action to stop a device they argue inflicts brain damage and violates international human-rights standards. The newly formed Stop ECT Coalition, comprising a consortium of health and human rights organizations … Read more
Largest international study finds nearly 60% of electroshock recipients were misinformed about serious dangers, echoing CCHR’s decades of evidence on violations of informed consent. A groundbreaking study published in the Journal of Medical Ethics has revealed that nearly 60% of people subjected to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), commonly called electroshock, reported they were not adequately informed … Read more
CCHR says giving electroshock to minors causes brain damage and violates global human rights standards, urging U.S. states to prohibit the practice under child abuse laws. The American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) recently issued a policy statement urging broader access to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) for children and adolescents—even those younger than 13—despite … Read more
A prestigious award recognized five decades of relentless advocacy for justice and reform fought by CCHR and survivors of electroshock torture at a psychiatric hospital. The Citizens Commission on Human Rights New Zealand chapter and survivors of the now-closed Lake Alice Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Unit in New Zealand have been honored with the prestigious … Read more
A new study reveals widespread misinformation about electroshock therapy among patients. Parents are similarly misled about ECT use on teens and children as young as five. Moreover, antidepressants—often a precursor to ECT recommendations—also carry significant risks. A new study reveals that patients feel misinformed about the risks of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), reinforcing the argument that … Read more