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HB 6837

AN ACT EXTENDING THE AUTHORIZATION OF SHOCK THERAPY BY A PATIENT'S WRITTEN CONSENT OR PROBATE COURT ORDER.

2025 Regular Session

Connecticut bill permits electroconvulsive therapy with patient consent or court order, raising questions about informed consent standards and involuntary treatment protections.

PUBLIC HEARING 0203
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Bill Summary · HB 6837

Legislative bill overview

HB 6837 would extend authorization for electroconvulsive therapy (ECT, colloquially "shock therapy") in Connecticut by allowing it to be administered with either a patient's written informed consent or a probate court order. The bill appears to modify existing statutes governing when and how this psychiatric treatment can be used.

Why is this important

ECT remains a legitimate psychiatric treatment for severe depression and other conditions when other interventions have failed, but it carries significant risks including memory loss and cognitive effects. The bill's provisions directly affect patient autonomy, medical decision-making authority, and protections for individuals with serious mental illness—particularly those deemed unable to consent.

Potential points of contention

  • Informed consent standards: Questions about what constitutes adequate "written consent" for a procedure with serious cognitive side effects, and whether patients can meaningfully consent when experiencing severe psychiatric symptoms
  • Probate court authority: Concerns about whether court-ordered ECT on non-consenting individuals raises bodily autonomy and due process issues, especially regarding standards courts must meet to approve treatment
  • Vulnerable populations: Risk that individuals with severe mental illness could be subject to ECT involuntarily if probate courts grant orders, raising disability rights concerns
  • Medical necessity criteria: Unclear whether the bill establishes appropriate gatekeeping requirements (failed alternative treatments, specific diagnoses) before ECT can be authorized

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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