This is anecdata, so take it for what you will, but when my ex-wife needed ECT it was literally a last ditch effort because she refused to return to the hospita

This is anecdata, so take it for what you will, but when my ex-wife needed ECT it was literally a last ditch effort because she refused to return to the hospital. It stabilized her for sure, but the effect was definitely temporary and we had to discontinue the course early because of side effects. While waiting for the procedure I did get to know a lot of the patients and their families. There were a few people who seemed to be getting markedly better. There was also a woman with a brain injury and she claimed the ECT kept her mentally afloat for a few months, until she needed it again. The thing that helped my ex much more ended up being ketamine infusions, but even that has some risks. This is just my experience. I don't know that there's a whole lot to learn from it, but I do know that for some patients it worked, though it's definitely not the permanent fix I've heard people claim it is.