Homework Compliance and Behavior Therapy Outcome for Panic with Agoraphobia and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Relationships between outcome of in vivo exposure and the quality and quantity of homework assignments were examined for 82 outpatients with anxiety disorders (35 with panic disorder with agoraphobia; 47 with obsessive-compulsive disorder). Consistent with prior research, treatment outcome was largely unrelated to both quality and quantity of homework. The one exception was a significant correlation between worse outcome and larger subjective-units-of-distress scores during exposure. This effect was small and in the direction opposite to that predicted. A secondary goal was to explore client characteristics related to homework compliance. Although trends emerged for homework quantity to relate to race, diagnostic group and pre-treatment functioning, these relationships were no longer significant following f -correction for the number of tests. Methodological weaknesses in the area of homework compliance and outcome are discussed.

Keywords:

• Cognitive
• Behavioral
• Treatment
• Anxiety
• Homework
• Therapy
• Client
• Characteristics
• Home
• Practice