Gemma Collins blasted for promoting electric shock headset for depression

AN Instagram post by Gemma Collins which promoted a pulsating headset to fight depression has been banned.

The reality star encouraged people to take treatment for the mental health condition into their own hands instead of seeking professional medical help, the UK watchdog ruled.

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The 43-year-old, who has 2.2million followers, shared a video of herself wearing the £400 Flow Neuroscience AB device in May 2023.

It is said to send mild electrical impulses to the frontal cortex, an area of the brain responsible for regulating mood.

In her post, Collins, who shot to fame on The Only Way is Essex, said: “I’m off my depression tablets and this has been a real game changer for me.

“Flow actually works faster and better than antidepressants.

“It’s like having your own therapist in the comfort of your own home.

“You’re fully in control of your own treatment.”

She added that if people can’t access therapy or don’t want to take medication, they should try this new option, which they can buy directly online without a prescription – though they should consult their GP.

Text accompanying the clip claimed that the headset, which has not undergone rigorous testing in the UK, “reduces depression in 88 per cent of people, according to Flow’s data”.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), which states that marketing must not “discourage essential treatment for which medical supervision should be sought”, said the post violated its code.

Collins told the regulator that she believed the ad had sent a clear message with a caption stating “consult your GP always without fail”.

But the ASA said that telling people to “consult” a doctor only encouraged a preliminary appointment and not “ongoing supervision”.

Collins was ordered to remove the advert, which has been deleted.

“The implication was that people who started to use the device would be able to stop their medication shortly after and without medical supervision,” the ASA, which acknowledged Collins had stopped taking medication before starting to use Flow, said.

“We considered that the ad trivialised the decision to come off antidepressants or not take them at all and encouraged people to take their treatment into their own hands.

“We considered that the claims were targeted at both those consumers who were weighing up treatment options at an early point in their illness and those who were currently receiving conventional medication or therapy for depression.

“We considered that the reference to buying the device directly from the website added to the impression that consumers could bypass the medical consultation route.

“The ad must not appear again in the form complained of.

“We told Flow Neuroscience AB to ensure their future ads did not discourage essential treatment for conditions for which medical supervision should be sought, including depression.”

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