A patient being treated for major depression is the CEO of her own business. She has shown significant improvement and is about to be discharged after completing a course of 15 electroconvulsive therapy sessions. She will continue on SSRI medications. The patient has been counseled not to make a major business decision for a month. The rationale for this is that:
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is B: ECT often causes temporary memory impairment. This is because electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is known to have side effects, including temporary memory loss and confusion. As the patient has just completed a course of 15 ECT sessions, it is important to allow time for the effects of ECT to subside before making major decisions, especially in a high-pressure role like being a CEO. Choices A and C are incorrect as SSRIs do not typically cause confusion and lingering depression alone does not necessarily make a patient incompetent. Choice D is incorrect as there is no indication that the patient needs months to readjust to work pressures; the primary concern here is the potential memory impairment from ECT.