Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality for a year in older adults hospitalised with a mood disorder, US researchers say.

The procedure also appears to be associated with short-term protection against suicide, they add.

Using Medicare records, the study team identified 10,460 people aged over 65 who had received inpatient ECT treatment for major depression or other psychiatric disorders between 2011 and 2015.

These patients were matched with 31,160 controls of similar age, gender, psychiatric diagnosis and other medical conditions who had not received ECT.