image:
Patients report that they feel even better long after treatment than immediately after the therapy, says researcher and psychology specialist Kristen Hagen from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology.
view more
Credit: Kristen Hagen, NTNU
Panic attacks can be extremely unpleasant and can cause intense fear. If you experience these attacks regularly, professionals call it panic disorder.
A method to treat the disorder was developed some time ago in Bergen. It runs over four days and is called the Bergen 4-Day Treatment (B4DT) .
Previous research has confirmed that this treatment is a good method to quickly help patients with panic disorder. One week after treatment, almost 90 per cent of patients experience a clear improvement.
But what about the long-term effect? New research has good news to report.
Amazing results
“It turns out that the improvement not only persists, but it actually gets stronger over time for many,” said Kristen Hagen, a psychologist and associate professor at NTNU. Hagen is the project manager and senior author of two studies recently published in BMC Psychiatry.
“With long-term follow-up, patients report that they feel even better – than immediately after therapy and at the follow-up three months after,” says Hagen.
“The fact that patients get even better over time is simply remarkable,” he says.
Patients report that they feel even better long after treatment than immediately after the therapy, says psychology specialist Kristen Hagen. Photo: Private
The studies also show that the treatment not only reduces panic disorder symptoms, but also symptoms of general anxiety and depression.
Hagen says that despite the good results of the studies, they need to be confirmed with a larger number of patients.
How the treatment works
Instead of dragging the treatment over many weeks, the B4DT method is carried out intensively over four days in the same week.
Three to six patients meet in groups with a corresponding number of therapists.
The patients receive tailored treatment where they practice seeking out symptoms, situations and situations that can trigger anxiety. The patient has often avoided these situations for a long time.
In this therapy, patients face the difficult in a different and more appropriate way. This gives patients insight into the fact that it is the panic disorder and not real causes that have made them fear situations.
Almost 9 out of 10 patients report great improvement with this method. They have minimal symptoms and function relatively well in everyday life afterwards.
The method was developed to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder, but has been adapted to treat other mental disorders such as panic disorder.
References: Thorstein Olsen Eide, Bjarne Hansen, Kay Morten Hjelle, Stian Solem, Michael G. Wheaton, Thröstur Björgvinsson, Gerd Kvale & Kristen Hagen: The Bergen 4-day treatment for panic disorder: a longer-term follow-up BMC Psychiatry
Thorstein Olsen Eide, Thorbjørn Olsen, Hans Hansen, Bjarne Hansen, Stian Solem & Kristen Hagen: The Bergen 4-Day Treatment for panic disorder patients in a rural clinical setting: a long-term follow-up study BMC Psychiatry
Journal
BMC Psychiatry
DOI
10.1186/s12888-025-06527-7
Method of Research
Observational study
Subject of Research
People
Article Title
The bergen 4-day treatment for panic disorder: a longer-term follow-up
Article Publication Date
7-Feb-2025
Media Contact
Nancy Bazilchuk
Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Office: 91897321
Journal
BMC Psychiatry
DOI
10.1186/s12888-025-06527-7
Method of Research
Observational study
Subject of Research
People
Article Title
The bergen 4-day treatment for panic disorder: a longer-term follow-up
Article Publication Date
7-Feb-2025
bu içeriği en az 2000 kelime olacak şekilde ve alt başlıklar ve madde içermiyecek şekilde ünlü bir science magazine için İngilizce olarak yeniden yaz. Teknik açıklamalar içersin ve viral olacak şekilde İngilizce yaz. Haber dışında başka bir şey içermesin. Haber içerisinde en az 12 paragraf ve her bir paragrafta da en az 50 kelime olsun. Cevapta sadece haber olsun. Ayrıca haberi yazdıktan sonra içerikten yararlanarak aşağıdaki başlıkların bilgisi var ise haberin altında doldur. Eğer yoksa bilgisi ilgili kısmı yazma.:
Subject of Research:
Article Title:
News Publication Date:
Web References:
References:
Image Credits:
Keywords
Tags: Bergen 4-Day Treatment effectivenesscoping with panic disorder symptomsevidence-based treatments for panic attacksinnovative treatments for anxiety disordersKristen Hagen psychology studieslong-term benefits of psychological therapylong-term effects of panic disorder treatmentmental health treatment advancementspanic attacks and their impactpatient outcomes after therapypsychology research on panic disordertreating panic disorder with therapy
