The 4-Day Treatment for Anxiety and OCD: Back in Full Swing After the Pandemic

After a long pandemic pause, efforts to train healthcare professionals worldwide in the 4-day treatment for anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are rapidly gaining momentum again in several countries.

“We are now fully underway with training groups in Stockholm, and other countries will soon follow. The international demand is significant,” says a satisfied Gerd Kvale.

Clinical psychologists Gerd Kvale and Bjarne Hansen developed The Bergen 4-Day Treatment (B4DT), an intensive four-day treatment program for anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders.

A disorder of the young

Some cannot step over a threshold without spending hours on rituals beforehand. Others develop compulsive washing habits. And some fear that they might harm others.

It is often called “a disorder of the young.” More than half of those affected by anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders develop symptoms in childhood or adolescence. The consequences are often severe, and OCD is among the leading reasons why young people drop out of education or work and end up on disability benefits.

Outstanding results

The treatment’s effectiveness has been continuously researched. The remarkable, scientifically documented results of B4DT have attracted international attention: 90 percent of patients experience clear improvement after just four days.

Four years later, 70 percent are free of the disorder and lead normal lives.

These strong results led Time Magazine in 2018 to name Kvale and Hansen two of the world’s 50 most influential people in health. Since then, health authorities and institutions worldwide have sought access to the treatment, known as B4DT.

Certification follows the same modules worldwide to ensure that all patients receive the same standard of care, regardless of location.

Children and youth

“When the treatment gained recognition, Kavli Trust had recently chosen mental health for children and young people as a key focus area for our funding. This formed the basis for our support of training healthcare teams across Norway, and now for our funding of international dissemination with a total of 35 million NOK,” says Inger Elise Iversen, CEO of Kavli Trust.

“We are pleased that international dissemination can continue. Such an effective treatment must be accessible to as many as possible,” she emphasizes.

Systematic studies

Support from Kavli Trust enables researchers to conduct both international training and systematic studies on the treatment’s effectiveness for patients abroad.

“We are currently focusing on training 4-day treatment teams simultaneously in Germany, Finland, the USA, Iceland, and Sweden,” says Gerd Kvale. “This will create a knowledge base from various cultural contexts and expertise, allowing the work to eventually continue independently.”

“We expect the professional environments to gain experience that will be crucial for deciding on further dissemination of B4DT,” she adds.

Strong professional communities

The researchers began their international work in 2018, partnering with well-established professional communities in the USA, Sweden, and Iceland. Singapore followed in 2020, where the largest psychiatric hospital sought to strengthen its OCD treatment services with B4DT.

Then came the pandemic.

The pandemic prevented Kvale and Hansen from traveling and participating in training and treatment in Singapore and other countries throughout most of 2020 and 2021. Meanwhile, they continued work with B4DT in Norway and planned further training, research, and expansion.

“But now we are finally looking ahead,” says Bjarne Hansen.

In spring 2022, he is fully engaged in leading training for the first team in Finland. Several other countries are next in line.

“The training is designed to equip the team to train new teams within Finland,” he explains.

“This will speed up the dissemination of the treatment. We continuously work on developing and improving both the content and organization of the dissemination efforts to maximize efficiency while maintaining the same high quality everywhere,” he concludes.

Facts: 35 Million NOK for International Dissemination

• From 2019 to 2023, Kavli Trust has allocated 35 million Norwegian kroner to support the international dissemination of the 4-day treatment (B4DT).
• The multi-year initiative is led by Gerd Kvale and Bjarne Hansen from the Bergen Center for Brain Plasticity at Haukeland University Hospital.
• The center was established through collaboration between the Trond Mohn Bergen Research Foundation, the University of Bergen, Haukeland University Hospital, and Kavli Trust.
• While the Bergen Research Foundation funds the further development of B4DT, Kavli Trust finances the international dissemination of the treatment program.
• Kavli Trust also funded nationwide dissemination of the treatment as part of its commitment to mental health among children and young people.
• B4DT is the largest single research project ever supported by Kavli Trust.

Want to learn more about the treatment? Visit Helse Bergen’s website.