Correspondent: Marianne Storm
An intensive treatment protocol for treating psychiatric disorders, developed in Norway, has increased in popularity among therapists in the United States. Professors from Bergen developed an intensive four-day treatment protocol for obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, and social anxiety disorder. The protocol involves patients actively approaching fearful situations with their therapist and avoiding behavior that would alleviate their anxiety. In Norway, more than 700 patients have been treated with the protocol, with 90 percent of participants experiencing significant recovery. What’s more, the majority of patients remain symptom-free for up to four years. Last year, the researchers received a NOK 20 million (USD 2.3 million) research grant to study the application of the four-day protocol to other types of anxiety disorders.
