Norway

The implementation of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) in Norway began in response to an urgent need for evidence-based interventions to prevent youth suicide. In 2006, no such structured treatments were available, but early studies of DBT for adolescents (DBT-A), developed by Alec Miller and Jill Rathus, offered promising results. A research group at the University of Oslo, led by Professor Lars Mehlum, conducted the first randomized controlled trial of DBT-A in Norway. The study showed a marked reduction in suicidal and non-suicidal self-harm, with sustained effects at one- and three-year follow-ups, and demonstrated that DBT-A is a highly cost-effective treatment. At that time, no DBT therapists were practicing in Norway. The research group therefore initiated efforts to build local expertise, paving the way for national implementation. This development emphasized not only adopting DBT from abroad but also building a strong Norwegian evidence base — following Marsha Linehan’s principle that treatment, training, and research should be interconnected. Today, every hospital trust in Norway offers DBT, supported by a national clinical research network of collaborating DBT units using shared data collection protocols. A strong peer community is maintained through ongoing collaboration, shared research initiatives, and biennial national DBT conferences, known as “the DBT Festival.” Founded in 2017, the Norwegian Association for Dialectical Behavior Therapy (N-DBT) is a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing knowledge, use, and respect for DBT across Norway. N-DBT promotes collaboration among clinicians and clinics nationally and internationally, supports the university’s research efforts, and fosters continued development, innovation, and dissemination of DBT within Norwegian mental health care.