Ireland has enacted a ban on electroshock treatment, also known as electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), for minors under its new Mental Health Law, the Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) International announced. The law, passed in May 2026, prohibits the use of ECT on individuals under 18, safeguarding them from a procedure that delivers up to 460 volts of electricity through the brain and can cause severe memory loss, cognitive impairment, and brain damage.
CCHR, a mental health industry watchdog, has long campaigned against ECT, particularly for minors. The group previously helped secure bans in California (1976) for children under 12, in Texas (1993) for those under 16, and in Western Australia (2014) for those 14 and younger. Jan Eastgate, President of CCHR International, praised Irish officials for raising the age limit to 17 but emphasized that the ban should extend to all ages. "However, like thousands who called for ECT to be banned in the U.S. under the FDA's Final Rule in 2018, the ban should be extended to all ages. CCHR is committed to achieving this," Eastgate said.
The Human Rights Institute in Ireland noted that the Mental Health Act represents a significant advancement in human rights, re-evaluating the relationship between health, human dignity, and state responsibilities. The Irish Mental Health Commission highlighted that the right to liberty and personal security is most affected by this legislation.
In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared ECT devices for those 13 and older for three limited conditions, but the procedure is often administered off-label. The newly formed Stop ECT Coalition, comprising health and human rights organizations, is urging a review of how ECT devices remain on the market. These devices were "grandfathered" into FDA regulation in 1976 as Class III high-risk devices, bypassing modern safety and efficacy standards. In 2018, the FDA reclassified ECT devices to moderate risk (Class II) without requiring clinical trials. The Coalition argues that this incorrect classification allows ECT to be used on vulnerable populations, including children as young as five, pregnant women, and seniors, and that involuntary application constitutes a human-rights abuse condemned by the United Nations and World Health Organization.
Dr. John Read, Professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of East London, has extensively reviewed ECT studies and compared its effects to traumatic brain injury. He noted that historical proponents argued ECT works by reducing intelligence or erasing traumatic memories, a concept termed "brain-damaging therapeutics." Robert Rubinstein, a former psychiatry professor at the University of California, San Francisco, likened ECT to "kicking a Swiss watch," while psychiatrist Dr. Niall McLaren stated, "No psychiatrist needs to use ECT." A WHO mental health strategy plan warned of ECT's health risks, including brain damage, cardiovascular complications, memory impairment, and death, and recommended banning it for children, noting that non-consenting use may constitute torture.
CCHR, established in 1969 by the Church of Scientology and psychiatrist Dr. Thomas Szasz, has helped enact hundreds of laws worldwide to protect against psychiatric abuses. Eastgate concluded, "Ireland's ban on electroshock treatment for minors marks a significant step forward in protecting vulnerable young people from a damaging procedure. While this decision advances human rights and personal liberty in the mental health industry, advocates like CCHR and the Stop ECT Coalition continue to call for a complete ban."
