Final answer:
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a fast and effective intervention for severe depression that has not responded to other treatments. It uses electric currents to induce a controlled seizure in the brain, providing rapid relief. While generally safe and effective with minimal side effects, ECT may cause memory loss.
Step-by-step explanation:
When drugs are too slow or ineffective, and improving depression is an emergency, an intervention that is fast and effective with minimal side effects is electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). ECT is a procedure that uses electric currents to induce a controlled seizure in the brain, and it can provide rapid relief for severe depression that has not responded to other treatments. While ECT is generally safe and effective, it may have some side effects, such as memory loss.