Press release
The H.U.B facilitates access to specialised care for treatment-resistant depression
Brussels 9 December 2025 – Winter is a time when depressive symptoms can intensify for some people. Tiredness, sleeping problems, feeling low... In some cases these symptoms persist and become recurrent as the usual treatment fails to relieve them. We then speak of treatment-resistant depression, a little known disorder but with a major impact on the everyday lives of sufferers. In response to this need, the Department of Psychiatry at the Brussels University Hospital (H.U.B) is opening a specialised outpatient consultation to provide rapid access to innovative treatment and comprehensive care.
Treatment-resistant depression: a complex but treatable disorder
Every year, approximately 10 % of the adult population suffers from depression in Belgium. Of these, almost a third do not respond sufficiently to conventional antidepressants.
Professor Pierre Oswald, Head of the H.U.B Department of Psychiatry, explains: ”There is nothing inevitable about treatment-resistant depression. It simply requires an adapted and multidisciplinary approach. Thanks to this new consultation we can propose rapidly, in Brussels, treatment that really makes a difference to the lives of patients suffering from a recurrent form of depression.”
Symptoms are not limited to feeling down but can affect sleep, energy levels, concentration, pain, relationships and well-being in general. This is why comprehensive and personalised care is essential for the patient.
An innovative and accessible outpatient consultation
Operational since 17 November, this consultation permits:
- A comprehensive and rapid assessment – The psychiatrist analyses the treatment already followed, the physical and psychological symptoms and the social and family context before proposing the best care strategy.
- An innovative and safe treatment – This is an esketamine-based treatment. Esketamine acts differently to conventional antidepressants and is able to significantly improve the situation in almost 60% of patients. The treatment is administered at an outpatient consultation, thus without hospitalisation. The patient remains conscious and an experienced medical team ensures their well-being in a safe environment. Effects are monitored to adjust the treatment if necessary.
- Quick appointments in the Brussels Region - Unlike other specialised centres that are saturated, the H.U.B proposes rapid appointments to enable patients to start treatment without delay. The patient is monitored in their own home, with coordination between psychiatrists, psychologists and other specialists depending on the patient’s needs.
This treatment is paid for by the INAMI [National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance] for adult patients suffering from an episode of treatment-resistant depression, provided that the depressive episode is confirmed by a psychiatrist and the patient has already tried at least two conventional antidepressant treatments without a sufficient result. No income criterion applies: All patients meeting the medical criteria can have access to the consultation and treatment, free of charge or reimbursed in line with the standard social security scheme.
Comprehensive and multidisciplinary care
The H.U.B combines a number of approaches to support patients with depressive disorders:
- Medication: conventional antidepressants or a combination to boost the effect.
- Psychotherapy: cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), systemic and psychoanalytically oriented; eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) for traumas; relaxation or psycho-corporal therapies
- Physical approaches: electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), used only in very specific situations under close medical supervision in a safe, controlled environment.
- Lifestyle support: sleep, diet, physical activity, stress management... all essential to avoid relapse.
Dr Youssouf Ramdani, psychiatrist at the H.U.B: “Our aim is for nobody to be locked into persistent suffering. This consultation makes it possible to combine treatment, psychotherapy and comprehensive support in a safe environment that is accessible to all.“
Why is this initiative so important
- Winter is a time when the depressive disorders of some people can worsen.
- Treatment-resistant depression is still little known to the general public.
- Brussels lacked specialised outpatient centres with rapid access.
- The treatment proposed is reimbursed and its effectiveness has been scientifically proven.
- This consultation permits global, continuous and personalised monitoring, avoiding the need for patients to travel between different psychiatric centres.
Louis Dijon
Marine Lhomel