Miya Pearson
Deep sleep therapy (DST), also known as prolonged sleep treatment or continuous narcosis, is a controversial and discredited form of psychiatric treatment. It involves keeping patients unconscious for days or weeks using drugs, including barbiturates. DST was practised at Chelmsford Private Hospital in New South Wales, Australia, from the 1960s to 1979, leading to 25 patient deaths. Dr Harry Bailey, the major proponent of DST, claimed it cured depressive illnesses and compulsive behaviour. However, other psychiatrists doubted its value and were concerned about its risks. The treatment was discontinued, and legal action was pursued on behalf of former patients. So, do we still use deep sleep therapy today?
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Other Names | Prolonged sleep treatment, continuous narcosis, electro-sleep therapy |
| Treatment Duration | About 20 hours a day for an extended period, e.g. two weeks |
| Treatment Drugs | Barbiturates, sodium bromide, methylsulfonal, etc. |
| Treatment Devices | Electrodes, eye electrodes, mastoideus electrodes, preprogrammed timers |
| Treatment Duration | 45-90 minutes per session, 15-20 sessions in total |
| Treatment Concerns | Memory loss, brain damage, paralysis, death |
| Treatment History | Used in the 1930s-1950s for various conditions; discredited by the 1970s; rescinded in June 2023 |
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What You'll Learn
- Deep sleep therapy is a discredited psychiatric treatment
- It was practised at Chelmsford Private Hospital, Sydney, in the 1960s and 1970s
- The treatment involved keeping patients unconscious for days or weeks
- It led to the deaths of 25 patients at the hospital
- Dr Harry Bailey was the treatment's major proponent
Deep sleep therapy is a discredited psychiatric treatment
Deep sleep therapy (DST), also known as prolonged sleep treatment or continuous narcosis, is a discredited form of psychiatric treatment. The treatment involves keeping patients unconscious for days or weeks using drugs, such as barbiturates. DST was first tried by Scottish psychiatrist Neil Macleod at the turn of the 20th century, who used sodium bromide to induce sleep in psychiatric patients, one of whom died. The method was soon abandoned due to its toxicity and recklessness.
In the 1960s and 1970s, DST was used at Chelmsford Private Hospital in Sydney, Australia, by Dr Harry Bailey, who claimed it cured depressive illnesses and compulsive behaviour, including drug and alcohol addiction. However, the treatment was controversial and led to the deaths of 25 patients at the hospital. Patients were kept in a comatose state and were sometimes administered electrical shock treatment while unconscious. Some patients also claimed to have suffered brain damage and paralysis as a result of the treatment.
In 1978, a meeting of doctors working at Chelmsford found little support for DST, and legal action was pursued on behalf of former patients. In 1976, former patient Barry Hart commenced civil proceedings against Dr Bailey and the hospital for assault and false imprisonment, resulting in $60,000 in damages. In 1980, a television program aired an indictment of Dr Bailey, exposing the tragedy of DST to the public. Following a number of court hearings, the complaints were referred to the Disciplinary Tribunal, the body responsible for de-registering doctors. Deep sleep therapy was officially rescinded in June 2023.
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It was practised at Chelmsford Private Hospital, Sydney, in the 1960s and 1970s
Deep sleep therapy (DST), also known as prolonged sleep treatment or continuous narcosis, was practised at Chelmsford Private Hospital in Sydney, Australia, from 1962 to 1979. The treatment was pioneered by Dr Harry Bailey, the hospital's chief psychiatrist.
Bailey's method involved keeping patients in a barbiturate-induced coma for days or weeks. During this time, patients were fed through tubes and sometimes given convulsive electrical shock treatment. The therapy was purported to cure depressive illnesses and compulsive behaviours, such as drug and alcohol addiction.
Twenty-four people died at Chelmsford Private Hospital as a direct result of deep sleep therapy. Many more died or showed signs of permanent brain damage after discharge. The treatment's dangers and ineffectiveness were exposed in the early 1980s by the Sydney Morning Herald and 60 Minutes, leading to the establishment of the Chelmsford Royal Commission.
The Chelmsford scandal exposed severe issues within the field of psychiatry and the Australian healthcare system. The private nature of Chelmsford Private Hospital meant it evaded public health scrutiny, and the lack of a proper code of ethics within psychiatry at the time allowed these dangerous treatments to continue.
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The treatment involved keeping patients unconscious for days or weeks
Deep sleep therapy (DST), also known as prolonged sleep treatment or continuous narcosis, is a controversial and discredited form of psychiatric treatment. The treatment involves keeping patients unconscious for days or weeks using massive doses of barbiturates. During this time, patients are fed through tubes and may be administered electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).
The treatment was first introduced in Shanghai in 1900 by Macleod, who used bromides to induce sleep in patients with mania. In 1915, barbiturate-induced sleep therapy was tried in a psychiatric clinic in Italy, and the same year, it was adopted by Klaesi for the treatment of schizophrenia in Zurich. For about 30 years, during the 1930s to 1950s, 'sleep therapy' was used for various conditions, including severe anxiety, depression, and different forms of schizophrenia.
Deep sleep therapy was also practiced by Dr Harry Bailey between 1962 and 1979 at the Chelmsford Private Hospital in Pennant Hills, New South Wales. During this time, the treatment led to the deaths of 25 patients, with many others claiming to have suffered brain damage and paralysis as a result of the treatment. In 1976, former patient Barry Hart commenced civil proceedings against Dr Bailey and the hospital for assault and false imprisonment, and was awarded $60,000 in damages. In 1980, the Citizens Committee on Human Rights, backed by the Church of Scientology, exposed the tragedy of deep sleep therapy to the public, leading to further legal action on behalf of former patients.
Due to its controversial nature and the associated risks and fatalities, deep sleep therapy has been largely discontinued. Position Statement 34: Deep Sleep Therapy was rescinded in June 2023.
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It led to the deaths of 25 patients at the hospital
Deep sleep therapy (DST), also known as prolonged sleep treatment or continuous narcosis, is a discredited form of psychiatric treatment. The treatment involves keeping patients unconscious for days or weeks using drugs. During the treatment, patients are also given other treatments, including electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).
Deep sleep therapy was practiced by Dr Harry Bailey between 1962 and 1979 at Chelmsford Private Hospital in Pennant Hills, New South Wales. Dr Bailey claimed that DST cured depressive illnesses and compulsive behaviour, such as drug and alcohol addiction. However, other psychiatrists doubted the value of the treatment and were concerned about its risks. Despite this, Dr Bailey and his colleagues continued to use DST with frequency.
DST led to the deaths of 25 patients at Chelmsford Private Hospital. Many patients were given DST against their will and were subjected to shock therapy while in a coma. Some patients also claimed that they were inflicted with brain damage and paralysis as a result of the treatment.
In 1974, Barry Hart, a former patient, took civil action against Dr Bailey and the hospital for assault and false imprisonment, resulting in $60,000 in damages. In 1980, the Citizens Committee on Human Rights (CCHR), backed by the Church of Scientology, exposed the tragedy of DST to the public through a 60 Minutes story. Following this, several inquests were held into the deaths of patients, and a criminal charge of manslaughter was pending against Dr Bailey.
Deep sleep therapy has since been discredited and is no longer used. It was officially rescinded in June 2023.
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Dr Harry Bailey was the treatment's major proponent
Deep sleep therapy (DST), also known as prolonged sleep treatment or continuous narcosis, was a discredited form of psychiatric treatment in which patients were kept in a comatose state for days or weeks using massive doses of barbiturates. DST was first tried by Scottish psychiatrist Neil Macleod at the turn of the 20th century, but it was soon abandoned due to potential toxicity and recklessness.
Dr. Harry Bailey, the chief psychiatrist at Chelmsford Private Hospital in New South Wales, was the major proponent of DST. Between 1962 and 1979, Bailey practiced DST on his patients, often in combination with electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). During DST, patients were kept naked on beds, fed through tubes, and sometimes given convulsive electrical shock treatment while in a coma. Bailey claimed that DST cured depressive illnesses and compulsive behaviours, such as drug and alcohol addiction. However, his methods were controversial, and he was the only psychiatrist to use DST with any frequency.
The dangers of DST became evident as several patients died while undergoing the treatment or soon after their release from the hospital. Over a dozen patients at Chelmsford died while in a coma or shortly after leaving the hospital. Some patients also exhibited permanent brain damage. In 1974, Barry Hart, a former patient, spoke to the media about his ordeal and subsequently commenced civil proceedings against Dr. Bailey and the hospital for assault and false imprisonment. In 1976, a court awarded him $60,000 in damages.
In the early 1980s, a series of articles in the Sydney Morning Herald and a television program on 60 Minutes exposed the abuses at Chelmsford Hospital, leading to public outrage and prompting authorities to take action. A criminal charge of manslaughter was pending against Dr. Bailey, and the Investigating Committee was responsible for addressing complaints against him. The Citizens Committee on Human Rights, co-founded by the Church of Scientology, advocated for the victims and played a crucial role in bringing attention to the "deep sleep tragedy."
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Frequently asked questions
Deep sleep therapy (DST), also called prolonged sleep treatment or continuous narcosis, is a discredited form of psychiatric treatment in which drugs are used to keep patients unconscious for days or weeks.
Patients are kept in a comatose state for days or weeks by administering massive doses of barbiturates. They are fed through tubes and sometimes given convulsive electrical shock treatment while in a coma.
Deep sleep therapy was rescinded in June 2023. It was a controversial practice that led to the death of 25 patients at Chelmsford Private Hospital in New South Wales, Australia, from the early 1960s to late 1970s.
Aside from the risk of death, patients at Chelmsford Hospital claimed they were inflicted with brain damage and paralysis as a result of the treatment.
The treatment’s major proponent, Dr Harry Bailey, claimed that deep sleep therapy cured depressive illnesses and compulsive behaviour, such as drug and alcohol addiction.
