The Importance of Practicing at Home During and Following Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Childhood Anxiety Disorders: A Conceptual Review and New Directions to Enhance Homework Using Mhealth Technology

Abstract

Practicing newly acquired skills in different contexts is considered a crucial aspect of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for anxiety disorders (Peris et al. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 56:1043–1052, 2017; Stewart et al. Prof Psychol Res Pract 47:303–311, 2016). Learning to cope with feared stimuli in different situations allows for generalization of learned skills, and experiencing non-occurrence of the feared outcome helps in developing non-catastrophic associations that may enhance treatment outcomes (Bandarian-Balooch et al. J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry 47:138–144, 2015; Cammin-Nowak et al. J Clin Psychol 69:616–629, 2013; Kendall et al. Cogn Behav Pract 12:136–148, 2005; Tiwari et al. J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol 42:34–43, 2013). To optimize treatment outcome, homework is often integrated into CBT protocols for childhood anxiety disorders during and following treatment. Nevertheless, practicing at home can be challenging, with low motivation, lack of time, and insufficient self-guidance often listed as reasons for low adherence (Tang and Kreindler, JMIR Mental Health 4:e20, 2017). This conceptual review provides an overview of (1) how existing CBT childhood programs incorporate homework, and empirical evidence for the importance of homework practice, (2) evidence-based key elements of practice, and (3) how mHealth apps could potentially enhance practice at home, including an example of the development and application of such an app. This review therefore sets the stage for new directions in developing more effective and engaging CBT-based homework programs for childhood anxiety disorders.