Electroconvulsive therapy for an urgent social indication.

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is often rapidly effective in relieving the symptoms of severe depression. We report the case of a female patient with recurrent depression whose family desperately wanted her to be well enough to participate in her daughter's wedding. They contacted our ECT service only days before the wedding. After a single bifrontal ECT, she was able to attend and enjoy this important family function. We review the literature on speed of response to ECT and the effect of a single ECT.