Factors Associated with Assignment of Therapeutic Homework in a Large Public Children’s Mental Health System

Abstract

Therapeutic homework is a fundamental skill-building component of the majority of evidence-based therapies and is associated with better treatment outcomes. However, it is rarely utilized in public mental health settings. To determine barriers to homework use and identify predictors of clinicians' assignment of homework, an online survey was administered to 267 clinicians in a large diverse public mental health system. Clinicians who were younger, licensed, whose supervisors asked about homework and whose clients completed their homework more frequently were predictors of greater homework utilization. The survey results are discussed and a novel idea to increase the use of homework is introduced.

Gender and Content Differences in Domain and Focus of Homework Used in Couple Therapy

“…Findings from the present study suggested that many of the between-session activities completed by respondents were specific in nature. This suggests that the clients did something intentional, rather than a vague sense of having “done something.” Skills-building tasks were common as were practical applications of in-session tasks, as has been found by others (e.g., Kelly & Deane, 2011; Trask et al, 2018). The target of the homework was nearly equally split between couples and individuals, suggesting that participants, while in couple therapy, were also engaged in some personal development.…”

“…Between-session tasks have evolved as a skill-building component of several evidenced-based models of therapy (e.g., cognitive behavioral therapy, integrative behavioral couples therapy, etc. ; Trask et al, 2018). Common examples of therapeutic homework from evidence-based models include exercises for affect recognition, relaxation techniques, and exposure to anxiety-provoking situations (Hudson & Kendall, 2002).…”