A patient being treated for major depression is the CEO of her own business. She has shown significant improvement and is about to be discharged after completing a course of 15 electroconvulsive therapy sessions
She will continue on SSRI medications. The patient has been counseled not to make a major business decision for a month. The rationale for this is that: a. SSRIs may cause confusion in susceptible persons.
b. ECT often causes temporary memory impairment.
c. Lingering depression makes the patient incompetent.
d. The patient needs months to readjust to work pressures.
B
Impairment of recent memory is often present during and for a short time after electroconvulsive therapy. An inappropriate business decision might be made because of forgotten important details. SSRIs typically do not cause confusion. The patient's depression has improved, so it is unlikely that her competency is currently affected, and although she may need a period of readjustment on returning to work, this is not the primary reason for counseling against major decisions in the first month back at work.
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