Decoding the Depths: Chantal Henry’s Quest to Understand Mood Disorders
Chantal Henry dedicates her work to guiding patients suffering from treatment-resistant depression and bipolar disorder back to a state of emotional equilibrium – what she terms “normothymia.” For individuals with bipolar illness,this means navigating the extreme lows of depressive phases,characterized by debilitating functional impairment,and the intense highs of manic episodes,marked by heightened energy,amplified emotions,and diminished sleep needs.
Professor Henry practices and conducts research at two prominent Parisian institutions. Since 2019, she has been based at Sainte-Anne Hospital, a landmark in the history of psychiatry. It was at Sainte-Anne that Jean Delay and Pierre Deniker first observed the antipsychotic effects of Largactil in 1952,and today the hospital continues to be at the forefront of psychiatric innovation,offering a comprehensive spectrum of treatments,including both established therapies and cutting-edge clinical trials involving psychedelics and neuromodulation.
Alongside her clinical work, Professor Henry collaborates with neuroscientist Pierre-Marie Lledo at the Institut Pasteur, within the CNRS perception and action unit. This dual role allows her to seamlessly integrate clinical practice, teaching, and research, all focused on unraveling the complexities of mood disorders – a captivation that has driven her work for over three decades.
Her current research takes a novel approach,extending investigations from human patients to rodent models. This work is guided by two primary goals: to shorten the lengthy diagnostic delays often experienced by those with bipolar illness (currently averaging seven to ten years) and to pave the way for truly personalized treatment plans.
Professor Henry identifies stigma and widespread misconceptions as the biggest barriers to accessing care. “In the general public, depression is often equated with simple sadness,” she explains. “As everyone experiences sadness, ther’s a tendency to believe everyone understands depression, and to suggest solutions like ‘snap out of it’ or ‘find a distraction.’ but as I tell my students, depression is a life-threatening illness, a disruption in brain function.”
