ROLE OF EXPOSURE HOMEWORK IN PHOBIA REDUCTION - A CONTROLLED-STUDY

Ninety-nine phobic patients (agora-, social and specific phobics) were randomized to one of three treatments: 1) Ee - clinician-accompanied exposure (E) plus self-exposure (e); 2) self-exposure only - (e); or 3) self-relaxation with no exposure - (r). All had six 60-minute treatment sessions from weeks 0-8 and were asked to practice e or r for 90 minutes daily up to week 14 and to record this in a daily diary of e or r homework. Ee patients had added to each 60-minute treatment session 90 minutes of E, receiving a total of nine hours of E (6 x 90 min). Refusal and dropout rates were similar across treatments; 80 patients completed therapy. In all phobic types both exposure groups did well to the end of treatment (week 8) and follow-up (weeks 14 and 26), being much superior to relaxation. Six hours of self-exposure instruction plus daily homework yielded major and lasting benefits which were not enhanced by adding nine hours of clinician-accompanied exposure, except slightly in social phobics. Improvement from self-relaxation homework was minimal.