PSYCHOLOGISTS' USE OF HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS IN CLINICAL PRACTICE

Does the average professional psychologist use homework in clinical practice? If so, how frequently and how systematic is he or she in recommending homework? Ninety-eight percent of the 221 New Zealand practicing psychologists surveyed reported using homework assignments. Although practitioners reported using homework in an average of 57% of sessions, a higher rate (66% of sessions) was reported among those using cognitive and behavioral approaches to therapy. Despite this fact, only 25% of all psychologists reported using systematic procedures for recommending homework. The use of homework in clinical practice may need modification to ensure that clients receive maximum benefit from homework assignments. Despite the emphasis of homework assignments in theoretical formulations of therapy, very little is known about practitioners' use of homework assignments in clinical practice. There are no previous published reports on the extent to which the general psychologist population utilizes homework in clinical practice, or what procedures are used in the administration of homework, or what types of homework assignments are most frequently recommended. The administration of homework may be different for certain clients, or may be limited to the treatment of certain client problems. Moreover, it is possible that the use of homework (or its procedures) may vary as a function of the practitioner's therapeutic orientation. The present study was designed to provide specific data on these aspects of the use of homework in clinical practice, so that practitioners may be provided with further rationale for the use homework, and so that specific recommendations may be offered for how best to ensure homework's effectiveness.

[1]  F. Deane,et al.  Homework assignments in cognitive and behavioral therapy: a meta-analysis. , 2000 .

[2]  N. Kazantzis.  Power to detect homework effects in psychotherapy outcome research. , 2000, Journal of consulting and clinical psychology.

[3]  Gary M. Schulteis.  Brief Therapy Homework Planner , 1998 .

[4]  J. Ablon,et al.  How Expert Clinicians' Prototypes of an Ideal Treatment Correlate with Outcome in Psychodynamic and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy , 1998 .

[5]  Michel Hersen,et al.  Behavioral Assessment: A Practical Handbook , 1998 .

[6]  F. Deane,et al.  Theoretical Orientations of New Zealand Psychologists: An International Comparison , 1998 .

[7]  Positive practice in family therapy. , 1997, Journal of marital and family therapy.

[8]  P. March.  IN TWO MINDS ABOUT COGNITIVE‐BEHAVIOURAL THERAPY: TALKING TO PATIENTS ABOUT WHY THEY DO NOT DO THEIR HOMEWORK , 1997 .

[9]  R. Heimberg,et al.  Homework compliance, perceptions of control, and outcome of cognitive-behavioral treatment of social phobia. , 1996, Behaviour research and therapy.

[10]  P. Chadwick,et al.  Cognitive Therapy for Delusions, Voices and Paranoia , 1996 .

[11]  Vincent B. Van Hasselt,et al.  Sourcebook of Psychological Treatment Manuals for Adult Disorders , 1996 .

[12]  M. Thase.  Cognitive Behavior Therapy Manual for Treatment of Depressed Inpatients , 1996 .

[13]  Mark A. Hubble,et al.  Handbook of solution-focused brief therapy , 1996 .

[14]  G. L. Gandy.  Mental Health Rehabilitation: Disputing Irrational Beliefs , 1995 .

[15]  F. R. Halligan.  The challenge: Short-term dynamic psychotherapy for college counseling centers. , 1995 .

[16]  L. L'Abate,et al.  Programmed writing and therapy with symbiotically enmeshed patients. , 1995, American journal of psychotherapy.

[17]  A. Beck,et al.  Cognitive therapy of delusional beliefs. , 1994, Behaviour research and therapy.

[18]  S. Hollon,et al.  Cognitive and cognitive-behavioral therapies. , 1994 .

[19]  A. Auerbach,et al.  Does homework compliance enhance recovery from depression , 1992 .

[20]  B. Petheram.  A survey of therapists' attitudes to computers in the home-based treatment of adult aphasics , 1992 .

[21]  D. D. Davis,et al.  Cognitive therapy of personality disorders. , 1990, Progress in behavior modification.

[22]  S. Nolen-Hoeksema,et al.  Coping styles, homework compliance, and the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy. , 1991, Journal of consulting and clinical psychology.

[23]  D. J. Hansen,et al.  Behavioral Assessment of Child-Abusive and Neglectful Families , 1990, Behavior modification.

[24]  R. Neimeyer,et al.  The role of homework and skill acquisition in the outcome of group cognitive therapy for depression , 1990 .

[25]  R. Levy,et al.  Tasks in Brief Therapy , 1990 .

[26]  D. D. Davis,et al.  Cognitive Therapy of Depression , 1990 .

[27]  N. Jacobson,et al.  Brief Behavioral Marital Therapy , 1990 .

[28]  V. Giannetti,et al.  Handbook of brief psychotherapies. , 1990 .

[29]  R. Warren,et al.  What do RET therapists think they are doing? An international survey , 1987 .

[30]  Windy Dryden,et al.  Handbook of Psychotherapy and Behavior Change , 1987, Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy.

[31]  E. Worthington.  Client compliance with homework directives during counseling , 1986 .

[32]  R. Goisman.  The psychodynamics of prescribing in behavior therapy. , 1985, The American journal of psychiatry.

[33]  A. D. Kornfeld.  Behavioral Assignments and Treatment Compliance. A Handbook of Clinical Strategies , 1983 .

[34]  Alan E. Kazdin,et al.  International Handbook of Behavior Modification and Therapy , 1982 .

[35]  S. Garfield,et al.  Clinical psychologists in the 1970s. , 1976 .

[36]  J. Ackerman,et al.  Homework in Counseling and Psychotherapy: Examples of Systematic Assignments for Therapeutic Use by Mental Health Professionals , 1974 .