A public health issue that's often invisible
It's not talked about much, yet depression affects nearly 8% of the French population. Among these individuals, 15 to 30% suffer from treatment-resistant depression, a severe form that doesn't respond to standard treatments. In the Hauts-de-France region, this represents at least 50,000 affected people.
In light of this reality, the CHU de Lille is taking action with the opening of HEMERA (Ambulatory Cerebral Evaluation and Modulation Hospitalization), a specialized unit that started welcoming its first patients in the summer of 2025.
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HEMERA: a unique technical platform in the region
Located at the Michel Fontan hospital, this new unit allows for a fivefold increase in access to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), a treatment recognized as particularly effective for resistant depression and severe mood disorders.
Specifically, where the CHU could previously offer only a handful of sessions per week, HEMERA now provides over 40 weekly sessions, accommodating 12 to 16 patients over three dedicated days. All this takes place in new, bright facilities designed for the comfort of both patients and healthcare teams.
ECT, often surrounded by misconceptions, is here performed under short-duration general anesthesia, in a strictly medical, secure environment, and supervised by a multidisciplinary team combining psychiatry and anesthesia.
Much broader than depression
AssistantHEMERA doesn't just focus on one type of care. The unit also offers comprehensive evaluations of mood disorders, treatments for sleep issues related to psychiatric conditions, and innovative therapies under medical supervision, such as intranasal esketamine or non-invasive brain stimulation techniques.
It's designed as a fallback platform where traditional care pathways sometimes reach their limits.
Lille, a healthcare hub that really matters
This inauguration confirms an already well-established dynamic. Last March, Claude-Huriez Hospital, a cornerstone of Lille's University Hospital, made it into the ranking of the 30 best hospitals in the world by Newsweek. An international recognition that’s no coincidence.
With HEMERA, Lille confirms that it's one of the cities seriously investing in mental health, a topic that's still often placed on the back burner. A real blessing for the...patients from the region, and a collective pride for the territory.