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Professor John Read

@profjohnread.bsky.social
517 followers 388 following 87 posts

Professor of Clinical Psychology, University of East London (views are my own) Chair, International Institute for Psychiatric Drug Withdrawal www.iipdw.org Author, with Pete Sanders, “A Straight Talking Introduction to the Causes of Mental Health Problems”

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Professor John Read @profjohnread.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
To the Few Psychiatrists Who Still Believe in ECT: See You in Court - Mad In America www.madinamerica.com/2026/08/to-t...
madinamerica.com
To the Few Psychiatrists Who Still Believe in ECT: See You in Court
I hope that legal cases like these will encourage psychiatrists to think twice before administering such a potentially damaging treatment.
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Professor John Read @profjohnread.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
My interview with Peter and Ginger Breggin The brutal truth that psychiatry still refuses to face open.substack.com/pub/gingerbr...
open.substack.com
The brutal truth that psychiatry still refuses to face
The long struggle...
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Reposted by Professor John Read
Professor John Read @profjohnread.bsky.social · 21/06/2026
The Gendered Experience of ECT: Insights From a Global Survey | Psychology Today www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/psyc...
psychologytoday.com
The Gendered Experience of ECT: Insights From a Global Survey
Women are twice as likely as men to be given electroconvulsive therapy. Our international survey shows they are less likely to benefit and more likely to suffer memory loss.
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Professor John Read @profjohnread.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
Psychosis Society Celebrates 70th Anniversary | Psychology Today www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/psyc...
psychologytoday.com
Psychosis Society Celebrates 70th Anniversary
The International Society for Psychological and Social Approaches to Psychiatry just celebrated its 70th birthday in Lausanne, where it was born in 1956.
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Professor John Read @profjohnread.bsky.social · 21/06/2026
The Gendered Experience of ECT: Insights From a Global Survey | Psychology Today www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/psyc...
psychologytoday.com
The Gendered Experience of ECT: Insights From a Global Survey
Women are twice as likely as men to be given electroconvulsive therapy. Our international survey shows they are less likely to benefit and more likely to suffer memory loss.
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Professor John Read @profjohnread.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/psyc...
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Professor John Read @profjohnread.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
“It Was Like They Crushed a Beautiful Flower”: Families Speak Out on the Harms of ECT - Mad In America www.madinamerica.com/2026/04/it-w...
madinamerica.com
“It Was Like They Crushed a Beautiful Flower”: Families Speak Out on the Harms of ECT
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a controversial practice, with recent research finding harm, as well as a lack of efficacy and informed consent. A new A new international study finds most relatives...
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Professor John Read @profjohnread.bsky.social · 28/04/2026
@iipdw.bsky.social Don’t miss our next online event this Thursday, April 30th See www.iipdw.org
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Reposted by Professor John Read
Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett @crockett.house.gov · 08/04/2026
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Professor John Read @profjohnread.bsky.social · 08/04/2026
Remembering a Quarter of a Million "Mental Patients" Murdered in the 1930s and 1940s | Psychology Today www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/psyc...
psychologytoday.com
Remembering a Quarter of a Million "Mental Patients" Murdered in the 1930s and 1940s
During World War II, an unsubstantiated genetic theory justified the killing of thousands of mental patients. What lessons should be learned from this for the treatment of mental health today?
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Professor John Read @profjohnread.bsky.social · 06/04/2026
Open Questions About Electroconvulsive Therapy Reveal Fuller Picture | Psychology Today www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/psyc...
psychologytoday.com
Open Questions About Electroconvulsive Therapy Reveal Fuller Picture
When asked open questions about the effects of electroconvulsive therapy, 51% reported negative effects only, 3% reported positive outcomes only, and 46% reported a mixture.
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Professor John Read @profjohnread.bsky.social · 20/02/2026
tandfonline.com/doi/epdf/10.1080/13651501.2026.2631406?needAccess=true
tandfonline.com
Are critiques of ECT scaremongering or contributions to informed consent?
You have to enable JavaScript in your browser's settings in order to use the eReader.
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Professor John Read @profjohnread.bsky.social · 08/02/2026
How open questions reveal the full extent of damage done by electroconvulsive therapy | EurekAlert! www.eurekalert.org/news-release...
eurekalert.org
How open questions reveal the full extent of damage done by electroconvulsive therapy
An international study, the first of its kind to use an online survey to capture the long-term effects of Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) on patients, has revealed that while some patients experience ...
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Professor John Read @profjohnread.bsky.social · 02/02/2026
Open Questions About Electroconvulsive Therapy Reveal Fuller Picture | Psychology Today www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/psyc...
psychologytoday.com
Open Questions About Electroconvulsive Therapy Reveal Fuller Picture
When asked open questions about the effects of electroconvulsive therapy, 51% reported negative effects only, 3% reported positive outcomes only, and 46% reported a mixture.
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Professor John Read @profjohnread.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
Survey Finds Most ECT Patients Suffer Long-term Memory Loss | Psychology Today www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/psyc...
psychologytoday.com
Survey Finds Most ECT Patients Suffer Long-term Memory Loss
In our international survey, 71 percent of ECT patients reported reduced ability to retain new information, and 80 percent reported loss of autobiographical memories of events before ECT.
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Professor John Read @profjohnread.bsky.social · 25/01/2026
Is It Time to Ban Electroconvulsive Therapy for Children? | Psychology Today www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/psyc...
psychologytoday.com
Is It Time to Ban Electroconvulsive Therapy for Children?
Opinion: The case for ECT to be made illegal for children and adolescents.
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Professor John Read @profjohnread.bsky.social · 24/01/2026
New Global Study Finds ECT Linked to Wide Range of Harms | Psychology Today www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/psyc...
psychologytoday.com
New Global Study Finds ECT Linked to Wide Range of Harms
It is well established that the most common adverse effect of electroconvulsive therapy is memory loss. Our latest paper reports on 25 other adverse effects in multiple domains.
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Professor John Read @profjohnread.bsky.social · 24/01/2026
New Global Study Finds ECT Linked to Wide Range of Harms | Psychology Today www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/psyc...
psychologytoday.com
New Global Study Finds ECT Linked to Wide Range of Harms
It is well established that the most common adverse effect of electroconvulsive therapy is memory loss. Our latest paper reports on 25 other adverse effects in multiple domains.
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Professor John Read @profjohnread.bsky.social · 23/01/2026
Survey Finds Most ECT Patients Suffer Long-term Memory Loss | Psychology Today www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/psyc...
psychologytoday.com
Survey Finds Most ECT Patients Suffer Long-term Memory Loss
In our international survey, 71 percent of ECT patients reported reduced ability to retain new information, and 80 percent reported loss of autobiographical memories of events before ECT.
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Professor John Read @profjohnread.bsky.social · 19/01/2026
The Gendered Experience of ECT: Insights From a Global Survey | Psychology Today www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/psyc...
psychologytoday.com
The Gendered Experience of ECT: Insights From a Global Survey
Women are twice as likely as men to be given electroconvulsive therapy. Our international survey shows they are less likely to benefit and more likely to suffer memory loss.
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Professor John Read @profjohnread.bsky.social · 16/01/2026
The Gendered Experience of ECT: Insights From a Global Survey | Psychology Today www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/psyc...
psychologytoday.com
The Gendered Experience of ECT: Insights From a Global Survey
Women are twice as likely as men to be given electroconvulsive therapy. Our international survey shows they are less likely to benefit and more likely to suffer memory loss.
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Professor John Read @profjohnread.bsky.social · 22/12/2025
Childhood%20Trauma%20and%20Recent%20Stressors%20Rarely%20Addressed%3B%20ECT%20Given%20Instead%20-%20Mad%20In%20America%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.madinamerica.com%2F2025%2F12%2Fchildhood-trauma-and-recent-stressors-rarely-addressed-ect-given-instead%2F
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Reposted by Professor John Read
Sandy Ernest Allen @sandyernestallen.bsky.social · 02/12/2025
Re-floating my big feature on ECT ... A year old now but no less relevant. www.thebeliever.net/a-brilliant-... via @thebeliever.net
thebeliever.net
A Brilliant Cure but We Lost the Patient - Believer Magazine
A shock survivor I knew years ago—an activist I’d flown out West to meet because I was writing a profile of her—showed me a tattoo she had on the back of her neck. She turned away from me, on the benc...
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Professor John Read @profjohnread.bsky.social · 13/12/2025
ECT Patients Not Asked About Causes of Their Problems | Psychology Today www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/psyc...
psychologytoday.com
ECT Patients Not Asked About Causes of Their Problems
An international survey of 1144 electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) patients and relatives has found that the causes of the patients' problems are ignored.
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Professor John Read @profjohnread.bsky.social · 10/12/2025
ECT Patients Not Asked About Causes of Their Problems | Psychology Today www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/psyc...
psychologytoday.com
ECT Patients Not Asked About Causes of Their Problems
An international survey of 1144 electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) patients and relatives has found that the causes of the patients' problems are ignored.
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Reposted by Professor John Read
Professor John Read @profjohnread.bsky.social · 24/09/2025
“I Can’t Remember a Single Day”: New Survey Shows Disastrous Memory Effects of ECT - Mad In America www.madinamerica.com/2025/09/i-ca...
madinamerica.com
“I Can’t Remember a Single Day”: New Survey Shows Disastrous Memory Effects of ECT
114 people told us they lost vital memories from before ECT, like getting married, birthdays, and family events.
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Reposted by Professor John Read
Meg Howarth @howarthm.bsky.social · 20/11/2025
#EmotionalWellbeing ⚡️research is so flawed/inconclusive that #ECT wld have..no chance of obtaining #MHRA approval in the #UK/ #FDA in #USA, if introduced today⚡️ @profjohnread.bsky.social 🚨 #ECT mainly given to older women, 1/3 receiving it against their will🚨 www.theguardian.com/science/2025...
theguardian.com
Electroconvulsive therapy may have more adverse effects than thought
Study calls for depression treatment to be suspended for more research after reports of heart problems and emotional blunting
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Reposted by Professor John Read
International Institute for Psychiatric Drug Withdrawal @iipdw.bsky.social · 06/11/2025
The IIPDW is a UK charity. We rely solely on the support of individuals like you to keep going. If you share our vision of a world where everyone has access to informed consent & safe, supported withdrawal, please consider donating on our website youtu.be/bVhcDhf62u8 Thank you.
youtu.be
IIPDW Fundraising Video 2025
YouTube video by Institute for Psychiatric Drug Withdrawal
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Professor John Read @profjohnread.bsky.social · 04/10/2025
A timely reminder? Cognitive Dissonance, Collective Trauma, and the Middle East | Psychology Today www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/psyc...
psychologytoday.com
Cognitive Dissonance, Collective Trauma, and the Middle East
Considering cognitive dissonance and intergenerational trauma may help avoid one-sided responses to the tragedy in the Middle East.
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Professor John Read @profjohnread.bsky.social · 24/09/2025
“I Can’t Remember a Single Day”: New Survey Shows Disastrous Memory Effects of ECT - Mad In America www.madinamerica.com/2025/09/i-ca...
madinamerica.com
“I Can’t Remember a Single Day”: New Survey Shows Disastrous Memory Effects of ECT
114 people told us they lost vital memories from before ECT, like getting married, birthdays, and family events.
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Professor John Read @profjohnread.bsky.social · 24/09/2025
“I Can’t Remember a Single Day”: New Survey Shows Disastrous Memory Effects of ECT - Mad In America www.madinamerica.com/2025/09/i-ca...
madinamerica.com
“I Can’t Remember a Single Day”: New Survey Shows Disastrous Memory Effects of ECT
114 people told us they lost vital memories from before ECT, like getting married, birthdays, and family events.
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Professor John Read @profjohnread.bsky.social · 24/09/2025
Survey Finds Most ECT Patients Suffer Long-term Memory Loss | Psychology Today www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/psyc...
psychologytoday.com
Survey Finds Most ECT Patients Suffer Long-term Memory Loss
In our international survey, 71 percent of ECT patients reported reduced ability to retain new information, and 80 percent reported loss of autobiographical memories of events before ECT.
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Professor John Read @profjohnread.bsky.social · 23/09/2025
Survey Finds Most ECT patients Suffer Long-term Memory Loss | Psychology Today www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/psyc...
psychologytoday.com
Log in | Psychology Today United Kingdom
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Professor John Read @profjohnread.bsky.social · 05/09/2025
80 Years On, Do We Know If Electroconvulsive Therapy Works? | Psychology Today www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/psyc...
psychologytoday.com
80 Years On, Do We Know If Electroconvulsive Therapy Works?
My first contact with ECT was in 1973 on a Bronx psychiatric ward, where I worked as a naïve nursing aide. I ended up throwing up in the car park.
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Reposted by Professor John Read
Steve Moskal @samoskal.bsky.social · 17/08/2025
“…."Our international survey, the largest ever conducted, seems to confirm audits of ECT leaflets, in Australia and the U.K., which found that the principle of informed consent is being consistently breached," the group wrote in the Journal of Medical Ethics…” #biorisks
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Professor John Read @profjohnread.bsky.social · 17/08/2025
Electroconvulsive Therapy Patients Often Not Fully Informed of Risks, Study Suggests www.medpagetoday.com/psychiatry/g...
medpagetoday.com
Electroconvulsive Therapy Patients Often Not Fully Informed of Risks, Study Suggests
Researchers question whether principle of informed consent is being breached
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Professor John Read @profjohnread.bsky.social · 17/08/2025
ECT: New Studies Detail Harms, Lack of Efficacy, Lack of Informed Consent - Mad In America www.madinamerica.com/2025/08/ect-...
madinamerica.com
ECT: New Studies Detail Harms, Lack of Efficacy, Lack of Informed Consent
Evidence from a huge survey of what people who have received ECT really think about what they were told, and about how ECT affected them.
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Professor John Read @profjohnread.bsky.social · 17/08/2025
Medical pros of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) exaggerated while cons downplayed, survey findings suggest | EurekAlert! www.eurekalert.org/news-release...
eurekalert.org
Medical pros of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) exaggerated while cons downplayed, survey findings suggest
The medical pros of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) are being exaggerated while the risks are being downplayed, suggest the findings of a survey on the type of information patients and their relatives...
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Professor John Read @profjohnread.bsky.social · 16/08/2025
ECT: New Studies Detail Harms, Lack of Efficacy, Lack of Informed Consent - Mad In America www.madinamerica.com/2025/08/ect-...
madinamerica.com
ECT: New Studies Detail Harms, Lack of Efficacy, Lack of Informed Consent
Evidence from a huge survey of what people who have received ECT really think about what they were told, and about how ECT affected them.
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Professor John Read @profjohnread.bsky.social · 15/08/2025
Medical pros of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) exaggerated while cons downplayed, survey findings suggest | EurekAlert! www.eurekalert.org/news-release...
eurekalert.org
Medical pros of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) exaggerated while cons downplayed, survey findings suggest
The medical pros of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) are being exaggerated while the risks are being downplayed, suggest the findings of a survey on the type of information patients and their relatives...
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Professor John Read @profjohnread.bsky.social · 12/08/2025
Article about our international ECT survey www.telegraph.co.uk/gift/022a099...
telegraph.co.uk
Electric shock therapy ‘ineffective and can erase memories’
Study finds majority of patients polled say medical procedure made their quality of life worse
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Professor John Read @profjohnread.bsky.social · 12/08/2025
A Survey of 1144 ECT Recipients, Family Members and Friends: Does ECT Work? - Read - 2025 - International Journal of Mental Health Nursing - Wiley Online Library onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
A Survey of 1144 ECT Recipients, Family Members and Friends: Does ECT Work?
The last placebo-controlled ECT trial for depression occurred in 1985. While awaiting trials that meet today's standards of evidence-based medicine, this paper presents the responses, to an online su....
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Professor John Read @profjohnread.bsky.social · 11/08/2025
A Survey of 1144 ECT Recipients, Family Members and Friends: Does ECT Work? - Read - 2025 - International Journal of Mental Health Nursing - Wiley Online Library onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
A Survey of 1144 ECT Recipients, Family Members and Friends: Does ECT Work?
The last placebo-controlled ECT trial for depression occurred in 1985. While awaiting trials that meet today's standards of evidence-based medicine, this paper presents the responses, to an online su...
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Professor John Read @profjohnread.bsky.social · 11/08/2025
First paper from our international ECT survey just out. On all 5 efficacy measures most recipients, and most relatives, reported it either made no difference or made things worse. Some were helped though. Thanks to all 1,144 who completed the survey. dx.doi.org/10.1111/inm....
dx.doi.org
A Survey of 1144 ECT Recipients, Family Members and Friends: Does ECT Work?
The last placebo-controlled ECT trial for depression occurred in 1985. While awaiting trials that meet today's standards of evidence-based medicine, this paper presents the responses, to an online su...
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Reposted by Professor John Read
Joanna Moncrieff @joannamoncrieff.bsky.social · 28/03/2025
This is what they are called, but there is no proof of neurological mechanisms for these conditions
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Reposted by Professor John Read
Joanna Moncrieff @joannamoncrieff.bsky.social · 23/03/2025
What we call mental health conditions do not have established neurobiological causes unless you include dementia or learning disability
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Reposted by Professor John Read
Martin Plöderl @ploederl.bsky.social · 03/08/2025
It's of course just human to forget about having a few conflicts of interest with pharma 😉 jamanetwork.com/journals/jam... @joannamoncrieff.bsky.social @markhoro.bsky.social @profjohnread.bsky.social
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Reposted by Professor John Read
Martin Plöderl @ploederl.bsky.social · 02/08/2025
Excellent summary of the ongoing controversy about antidepressant withdrawal issues by @joannamoncrieff.bsky.social www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/chem...
psychologytoday.com
Antidepressant Withdrawal: Nothing to Worry About?
Recent reviews claim antidepressant withdrawal is clinically insignificant, but they are based on flawed and short-term studies. Minimizing withdrawal problems is worrying.
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Reposted by Professor John Read
Martin Plöderl @ploederl.bsky.social · 02/08/2025
Polypharmacy is a huge issue in psychiatric care. I see it too often, mostly as expression of helplessness. Adding more meds is a common reaction, considering iatrogenic harms of (poly)meds less so. www.wsj.com/health/healt...
wsj.com
‘Combat Cocktail’: How America Overmedicates Veterans
To treat PTSD, the Department of Veterans Affairs put hundreds of thousands of patients on multiple streams of powerful drugs that put them at risk of suicide.
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