Which individual was the first to perform electric shock therapy?

Ugo Cerletti is recognized as the first individual to perform electric shock therapy, commonly known today as electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). His pioneering work in the late 1930s marked the beginning of using electricity in the treatment of severe psychiatric disorders. Cerletti and his colleague developed the technique as a means to induce seizures that could potentially alleviate symptoms of mental illness, especially in cases where other treatments had failed. Their innovative approach laid the groundwork for a treatment that, despite its controversial history, continues to be used in modern psychiatry under strictly regulated conditions.

While David Rosenhan studied psychiatric diagnosis and the validity of mental health labels, William James contributed to philosophy and psychology, and Thomas Szasz was known for his critique of psychiatry and the medicalization of mental illness, none of these individuals were involved in the actual development or implementation of electric shock therapy. Their contributions are significant in different respects, but it is Cerletti's work that directly relates to the advancement of electroconvulsive therapy.