Long-term outcome following electroconvulsive therapy for late-life depression: five-year follow-up data from the MODECT study

•What is the primary question addressed by this study?Relapse, cognitive impairment and survival were addressed in a cohort consisting of patients suffering from severe late-life depression treated with electroconvulsive therapy, covering a five-year follow-up period.•What is the main finding of this study?Five years after a course of electroconvulsive therapy for severe late-life depression, two thirds of patients relapsed, 39% showed cognitive impairment and 28% was deceased.•What is the meaning of the finding?Five-year outcome after a course of electroconvulsive therapy for severe late-life depression seems to be in line with long-term outcome following other acute treatments for severe late-life depression in terms of relapse, cognitive impairment and survival.