The hug came moments after Isabella had completed an intensive treatment for obsessive compulsive disorder, the Bergen 4-day Treatment (B4DT). The gold-standard treatment, Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is difficult to access in New Zealand, and the treatment period is much longer. Emma Chapman, clinical lead for the New Zealand B4DT trial, said district health services are beginning to integrate the B4DT model into their own offerings, with broader rollout anticipated later this year. “I don’t care if I get sick,” she told Gray before the Bergen treatment. Before the Bergen trial, Isabella had tried multiple treatments, specialists and medications - nothing had lasting success.

Source: New Zealand Herald April 03, 2026 22:03 UTC