Posted by dj on November 26, 2000, at 20:56:05
In reply to Re:For the techno-inept(me)where's Burns site? dj, posted by caroline h. on November 26, 2000, at 20:02:18
> dj- i tried doing a google search and turned up a law firm and a business consultant firm and their links. my google didn't recognize david burns. so, for the technologically challenged (me and anyone else, can you please spoon-feed me the name of burns's website? (i know it's a pain.)
>
> Much appreciated.
>
Caroline h.The trick has nothing to do with tech. and everything to do with strategy. Put "David Burns" in "" and then add CBT and you would have come up with more appropriate references immediately including the following which includes the website reference:
"The value of homework assignments in therapy
Not everyone is happy with the word 'homework assignment, (with its connotations of school), but an important feature of cognitive behaviour therapy is that often it involves people being encouraged to do activities at home in between therapy sessions. David Burns, on his excellent CBT site, www.feelinggood.com , has reported on a recent study looking at the value of therapeutic homework.
Dr. Burns and his research colleague, Dr. Diane Spangler, looked at the effect of therapeutic homework in two groups of patients (total number of patients - 521) treated at Dr. Burns' clinic in Philadelphia during the mid-1980s. (To quote from David Burns) the results indicated that:
Cognitive therapy homework assignments appear to have direct antidepressant effects. In other words, patients who do the homework got better faster, and it was because of the homework.
The size of the effect appeared to be extremely large--large enough, in fact, to cause complete recovery from depression for many patients.
Depression did not seem to influence compliance with homework assignments. In other words, severely depressed individuals and undepressed individuals did the same amount of homework, when controlling for all else.
Although motivation did appear to lead to increased homework compliance, it was the homework, and not the motivation, that seemed to cause recovery from depression.
This excellent study confirms what most cognitive therapists already know, that is, if you are depressed and you do the written assignments suggested by your cognitive therapist, you will improve much more speedily.
The reference for the study is: - Burns, D. D., & Spangler, D. (2000). Does psychotherapy homework lead to changes in depression in cognitive behavioural therapy? Or does clinical improvement lead to homework compliance? Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 68(1) 46-56."
http://www.outlooksw.co.uk/news.htm#homework
poster:dj
thread:3227
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20001117/msgs/3296.html