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List of Phobias: Common Phobias From A to Z

Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

what phobia of homework

Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital.

what phobia of homework

Types of Phobias

  • List of Phobias

Common vs. Rare Phobias

A phobia is an anxiety disorder involving excessive and persistent fear of a situation or object. Exposure to the source of the fear triggers an immediate anxiety response.

Phobias are one of the most common mental illnesses in the United States. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIH), approximately 12.5% of adults in the U.S. will deal with a specific phobia in their lifetime.  Women are more likely to experience phobias than men. Typical symptoms of phobias can include nausea, trembling, rapid heartbeat, feelings of unreality, and being preoccupied with the fear object.

The American Psychiatric Association (APA) identifies three different categories of phobias:

  • Social phobias : Now known as social anxiety disorder, this phobia is marked by a fear of social situations in which a person might be judged or embarrassed.
  • Agoraphobia : This phobia involves an irrational and extreme fear of being in places where escape is difficult. It may involve a fear of crowded places or even of leaving one's home.
  • Specific phobias : When people talk about having a phobia of a specific object such as snakes, spiders, or needles, they are referring to a specific phobia .

While not comprehensive, this list of phobias offers a glimpse of the many phobias that can have a serious impact on a person's life. As you may notice while you browse through this list, most specific phobias fall into one of four major categories:

  • Fears of the natural environment
  • Fears related to animals
  • Fear related to medical treatments or issues
  • Fears related to specific situations

One important thing to remember is that virtually any object can become a fear object. The names of specific phobias are often formed as nonce words, or words coined for a single occasion only.

These names themselves are often formed by taking a Greek prefix that represents the fear object and adding the -phobia suffix. Because of this, any attempt at a completely exhaustive list of phobias would be a futile exercise. Any list of phobias could grow with the addition of newly coined terms for previously unnamed specific phobias.

A–Z List of Some of the More Common Phobias

This article lists more than 100 of the most common phobias . It also covers some of the treatment options that are available.

Click Play to Learn More About Common Phobias

This video has been medically reviewed by Daniel B. Block, MD .

  • Ablutophobia : Fear of bathing
  • Achluophobia : Fear of darkness
  • Acrophobia : Fear of heights
  • Aerophobia : Fear of flying
  • Algophobia : Fear of pain
  • Agoraphobia : Fear of open spaces or crowds
  • Aichmophobia : Fear of needles or pointed objects
  • Amaxophobia : Fear of riding in a car
  • Androphobia : Fear of men
  • Anemophobia : Fear of air
  • Anginophobia : Fear of angina or choking
  • Angrophobia : Fear of anger
  • Anthrophobia : Fear of flowers
  • Anthropophobia : Fear of people or society
  • Aphenphosmphobia : Fear of being touched
  • Arachibutyrophobia : Fear of peanut butter
  • Arachnophobia : Fear of spiders
  • Arithmophobia : Fear of numbers
  • Astraphobia : Fear of thunder and lightning
  • Astrophobia : Fear of outer space
  • Ataxophobia : Fear of disorder or untidiness
  • Atelophobia : Fear of imperfection
  • Atychiphobia : Fear of failure
  • Automatonophobia : Fear of human-like figures
  • Autophobia : Fear of being alone
  • Bacteriophobia : Fear of bacteria
  • Barophobia : Fear of gravity
  • Bathmophobia : Fear of stairs or steep slopes
  • Batrachophobia : Fear of amphibians
  • Belonephobia : Fear of pins and needles
  • Bibliophobia : Fear of books
  • Botanophobia : Fear of plants
  • Cacophobia : Fear of ugliness
  • Catagelophobia : Fear of being ridiculed
  • Catoptrophobia : Fear of mirrors
  • Chionophobia : Fear of snow
  • Chrometophobia : Fear of spending money
  • Chromophobia : Fear of colors
  • Chronomentrophobia : Fear of clocks
  • Chronophobia : Fear of time
  • Cibophobia : Fear of food
  • Claustrophobia : Fear of confined spaces
  • Climacophobia : Fear of climbing
  • Coulrophobia : Fear of clowns
  • Cyberphobia : Fear of computers
  • Cynophobia : Fear of dogs
  • Daemonophobia : Fear of demons
  • Decidophobia : Fear of making decisions
  • Dendrophobia : Fear of trees
  • Dentophobia : Fear of dentists
  • Domatophobia : Fear of houses
  • Dystychiphobia : Fear of accidents
  • Ecophobia : Fear of the home
  • Elurophobia : Fear of cats
  • Emetophobia : Fear of vomiting
  • Entomophobia : Fear of insects
  • Ephebiphobia : Fear of teenagers
  • Erotophobia : Fear of sex
  • Equinophobia : Fear of horses
  • Gamophobia : Fear of marriage
  • Genuphobia : Fear of knees
  • Glossophobia : Fear of speaking in public
  • Gynophobia : Fear of women
  • Haphephobia : Fear of touch
  • Heliophobia : Fear of the sun
  • Hemophobia : Fear of blood
  • Herpetophobia : Fear of reptiles
  • Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia : Fear of long words
  • Hydrophobia : Fear of water
  • Hypochondria : Fear of illness
  • Iatrophobia : Fear of doctors
  • Insectophobia : Fear of insects
  • Koinoniphobia : Fear of rooms
  • Koumpounophobia : Fear of buttons
  • Leukophobia : Fear of the color white
  • Lilapsophobia : Fear of tornadoes and hurricanes
  • Lockiophobia : Fear of childbirth
  • Mageirocophobia : Fear of cooking
  • Megalophobia : Fear of large things
  • Melanophobia : Fear of the color black
  • Microphobia : Fear of small things
  • Mysophobia : Fear of dirt and germs
  • Necrophobia : Fear of death or dead things
  • Noctiphobia : Fear of the night
  • Nomophobia : Fear of being without your mobile phone
  • Nosocomephobia : Fear of hospitals
  • Nyctophobia : Fear of the dark
  • Obesophobia : Fear of gaining weight
  • Octophobia : Fear of the figure 8
  • Ombrophobia : Fear of rain
  • Ophidiophobia : Fear of snakes
  • Ornithophobia : Fear of birds
  • Osmophobia : Fear of smells
  • Ostraconophobia : Fear of shellfish
  • Papyrophobia : Fear of paper
  • Pathophobia : Fear of disease
  • Pedophobia : Fear of children
  • Philematophobia : Fear of kissing
  • Philophobia : Fear of love
  • Phobophobia : Fear of phobias
  • Podophobia : Fear of feet
  • Porphyrophobia : Fear of the color purple
  • Pteridophobia : Fear of ferns
  • Pteromerhanophobia : Fear of flying
  • Pyrophobia : Fear of fire
  • Samhainophobia : Fear of Halloween
  • Scolionophobia : Fear of school
  • Scoptophobia : Fear of being stared at
  • Selenophobia : Fear of the moon
  • Sociophobia : Fear of social evaluation
  • Somniphobia : Fear of sleep
  • Tachophobia : Fear of speed
  • Technophobia : Fear of technology
  • Thalassophobia : Fear of the ocean
  • Trichophobia : Fear of hair
  • Tonitrophobia : Fear of thunder
  • Trypanophobia : Fear of needles/injections
  • Trypophobia : Fear of holes
  • Venustraphobia : Fear of beautiful women
  • Verminophobia : Fear of germs
  • Wiccaphobia : Fear of witches and witchcraft
  • Xenophobia : Fear of strangers or foreigners
  • Zoophobia : Fear of animals
  • Zuigerphobia : Fear of vacuum cleaners

While listing all of the phobias that may exist is not possible, it can be helpful to look through a list of some of the more commonly described phobias. As you can see by looking at this list, almost any object or situation can become the source of fear.

Symptoms of Phobias

Phobias lead to physical, emotional, and behavioral symptoms. Common symptoms include:

  • Chest tightness or pain
  • Chills or hot flashes
  • Choking sensations
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Increased blood pressure
  • Racing heartbeat
  • Shaking or trembling

In addition to these physical symptoms, people may experience dread, a sense of impending doom, fear of losing control, or even the feeling that death is imminent. To avoid such feelings, people with phobias may avoid any situation where they might potentially encounter the source of their fear.

Causes of Phobias

The exact causes of phobias are not known, but it is likely that a combination of factors plays a part. Some factors that increase the risk of developing a phobia include:

  • Genetics : People with a close family member with a phobia or another anxiety disorder also have a greater risk of a phobia. It is important to note, however, that people who don't have family members with the condition still develop phobias.
  • Traumatic experiences : A difficult, stressful, or traumatic experience can also trigger the onset of a phobia. For example, being bitten by a dog as a child might trigger a fear of dogs in adulthood.

Some phobias are more common, while others are often quite rare. Five of the most common phobias include arachnophobia (the fear of spiders), ophidiophobia (the fear of snakes), glossophobia (the fear of public speaking), acrophobia (the fear of heights), and social phobia (the fear of social interactions).

The fear of public speaking is so common that some researchers have estimated that as much as 77% of people have some level of this fear.

Rare phobias may be novel terms coined to identify a single, unique case or fear that occur quite infrequently. Some different rare specific phobias include spectrophobia (the fear of mirrors), chiclephobia (the fear of chewing gum), and hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia (the fear of long words).

Treatment for Phobias

While phobias can be distressing and create disruptions in your life, they are treatable. Some of the different treatment options include therapy and medication.

Exposure Therapy

Exposure-based treatments are the first-line approach in the treatment of phobias. In this type of treatment, you are gradually and progressively exposed to what you fear. You might start by just thinking about your phobia trigger and then move slowly toward looking at images of the object and finally being near the object in real life.

Types of exposure-based treatments that may be used include:

  • In vivo exposure : This involves being exposed to the source of your fear in real life.
  • Virtual exposure : This involves the use of virtual reality to practice gradual exposure.
  • Systematic desensitization : This involves being gradually exposed until you become desensitized to the source of your fear.

During this process, you'll also practice relaxation techniques to help calm your body when your fear response kicks in.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Often referred to as CBT, cognitive behaviorial therapy involves learning to identify the underlying negative thoughts that contribute to feelings of fear. Once you become better at noticing these thoughts, you can then work on replacing them with more positive, helpful thoughts.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing 

Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy utilizes rhythmic eye movements to help people process and recover from traumatic experiences. It is frequently used in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) , but can also be effective in the treatment of a variety of other mental health conditions including phobias.  

Medications

Medications may be prescribed in some cases to help manage some of the symptoms you might be experiencing as a result of your phobia. Medications your doctor might prescribe include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) , beta-blockers, and anti-anxiety drugs.

A Word From Verywell

Phobias can have a serious impact on well-being, but it is important to remember that you are not alone. Phobias are common and treatable. If you believe that you have the symptoms of some type of phobia, consult a doctor for further evaluation and treatment advice. 

National Institute of Mental Health. Specific phobia .

Regier DA, Kuhl EA, Kupfer DJ. The DSM-5: Classification and criteria changes . World Psychiatry. 2013;12(2):92-8. doi:10.1002/wps.20050

American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.) . Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing; 2013.

Anxiety & Depression Association of America. Symptoms .

Van houtem CM, Laine ML, Boomsma DI, Ligthart L, Van wijk AJ, De jongh A.  A review and meta-analysis of the heritability of specific phobia subtypes and corresponding fears .  J Anxiety Disord . 2013;27(4):379-88. doi:10.1016/j.janxdis.2013.04.007

Heeren A, Ceschi G, Valentiner DP, Dethier V, Philippot P.  Assessing public speaking fear with the short form of the Personal Report of Confidence as a Speaker scale: confirmatory factor analyses among a French-speaking community sample.   Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat . 2013;9:609-18. doi:10.2147%2FNDT.S43097

Thng CEW, Lim-Ashworth NSJ, Poh BZQ, Lim CG. Recent developments in the intervention of specific phobia among adults: A rapid review .  F1000Res . 2020;9:F1000 Faculty Rev-195. doi:10.12688/f1000research.20082.1

Valiente-Gómez A, Moreno-Alcázar A, Treen D, et al. EMDR beyond PTSD: A systematic literature review .  Front Psychol . 2017;8:1668. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01668

Spiegel SB. Current issues in the treatment of specific phobia: Recommendations for innovative applications of hypnosis . Am J Clin Hypn . 2014;56(4):389-404. doi: 10.1080/00029157.2013.801009

By Kendra Cherry, MSEd Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

Is it time to get rid of homework? Mental health experts weigh in.

what phobia of homework

It's no secret that kids hate homework. And as students grapple with an ongoing pandemic that has had a wide range of mental health impacts, is it time schools start listening to their pleas about workloads?

Some teachers are turning to social media to take a stand against homework. 

Tiktok user @misguided.teacher says he doesn't assign it because the "whole premise of homework is flawed."

For starters, he says, he can't grade work on "even playing fields" when students' home environments can be vastly different.

"Even students who go home to a peaceful house, do they really want to spend their time on busy work? Because typically that's what a lot of homework is, it's busy work," he says in the video that has garnered 1.6 million likes. "You only get one year to be 7, you only got one year to be 10, you only get one year to be 16, 18."

Mental health experts agree heavy workloads have the potential do more harm than good for students, especially when taking into account the impacts of the pandemic. But they also say the answer may not be to eliminate homework altogether.

Emmy Kang, mental health counselor at Humantold , says studies have shown heavy workloads can be "detrimental" for students and cause a "big impact on their mental, physical and emotional health."

"More than half of students say that homework is their primary source of stress, and we know what stress can do on our bodies," she says, adding that staying up late to finish assignments also leads to disrupted sleep and exhaustion.

Cynthia Catchings, a licensed clinical social worker and therapist at Talkspace , says heavy workloads can also cause serious mental health problems in the long run, like anxiety and depression. 

And for all the distress homework  can cause, it's not as useful as many may think, says Dr. Nicholas Kardaras, a psychologist and CEO of Omega Recovery treatment center.

"The research shows that there's really limited benefit of homework for elementary age students, that really the school work should be contained in the classroom," he says.

For older students, Kang says, homework benefits plateau at about two hours per night. 

"Most students, especially at these high achieving schools, they're doing a minimum of three hours, and it's taking away time from their friends, from their families, their extracurricular activities. And these are all very important things for a person's mental and emotional health."

Catchings, who also taught third to 12th graders for 12 years, says she's seen the positive effects of a no-homework policy while working with students abroad.

"Not having homework was something that I always admired from the French students (and) the French schools, because that was helping the students to really have the time off and really disconnect from school," she says.

The answer may not be to eliminate homework completely but to be more mindful of the type of work students take home, suggests Kang, who was a high school teacher for 10 years.

"I don't think (we) should scrap homework; I think we should scrap meaningless, purposeless busy work-type homework. That's something that needs to be scrapped entirely," she says, encouraging teachers to be thoughtful and consider the amount of time it would take for students to complete assignments.

The pandemic made the conversation around homework more crucial 

Mindfulness surrounding homework is especially important in the context of the past two years. Many students will be struggling with mental health issues that were brought on or worsened by the pandemic , making heavy workloads even harder to balance.

"COVID was just a disaster in terms of the lack of structure. Everything just deteriorated," Kardaras says, pointing to an increase in cognitive issues and decrease in attention spans among students. "School acts as an anchor for a lot of children, as a stabilizing force, and that disappeared."

But even if students transition back to the structure of in-person classes, Kardaras suspects students may still struggle after two school years of shifted schedules and disrupted sleeping habits.

"We've seen adults struggling to go back to in-person work environments from remote work environments. That effect is amplified with children because children have less resources to be able to cope with those transitions than adults do," he explains.

'Get organized' ahead of back-to-school

In order to make the transition back to in-person school easier, Kang encourages students to "get good sleep, exercise regularly (and) eat a healthy diet."

To help manage workloads, she suggests students "get organized."

"There's so much mental clutter up there when you're disorganized. ... Sitting down and planning out their study schedules can really help manage their time," she says.

Breaking up assignments can also make things easier to tackle.

"I know that heavy workloads can be stressful, but if you sit down and you break down that studying into smaller chunks, they're much more manageable."

If workloads are still too much, Kang encourages students to advocate for themselves.

"They should tell their teachers when a homework assignment just took too much time or if it was too difficult for them to do on their own," she says. "It's good to speak up and ask those questions. Respectfully, of course, because these are your teachers. But still, I think sometimes teachers themselves need this feedback from their students."

More: Some teachers let their students sleep in class. Here's what mental health experts say.

More: Some parents are slipping young kids in for the COVID-19 vaccine, but doctors discourage the move as 'risky'

Candida Fink M.D.

Homework Struggles May Not Be a Behavior Problem

Exploring some options to understand and help..

Posted August 2, 2022 | Reviewed by Abigail Fagan

  • Mental health challenges and neurodevelopmental differences directly affect children's ability to do homework.
  • Understanding what difficulties are getting in the way—beyond the usual explanation of a behavior problem—is key.
  • Sleep and mental health needs can take priority over homework completion.

Chelsea was in 10th grade the first time I told her directly to stop doing her homework and get some sleep. I had been working with her since she was in middle school, treating her anxiety disorder. She deeply feared disappointing anyone—especially her teachers—and spent hours trying to finish homework perfectly. The more tired and anxious she got, the harder it got for her to finish the assignments.

Antonio Guillem/Shutterstock

One night Chelsea called me in despair, feeling hopeless. She was exhausted and couldn’t think straight. She felt like a failure and that she was a burden to everyone because she couldn’t finish her homework.

She was shocked when I told her that my prescription for her was to go to sleep now—not to figure out how to finish her work. I told her to leave her homework incomplete and go to sleep. We briefly discussed how we would figure it out the next day, with her mom and her teachers. At that moment, it clicked for her that it was futile to keep working—because nothing was getting done.

This was an inflection point for her awareness of when she was emotionally over-cooked and when she needed to stop and take a break or get some sleep. We repeated versions of this phone call several times over the course of her high school and college years, but she got much better at being able to do this for herself most of the time.

When Mental Health Symptoms Interfere with Homework

Kids with mental health or neurodevelopmental challenges often struggle mightily with homework. Challenges can come up in every step of the homework process, including, but not limited to:

  • Remembering and tracking assignments and materials
  • Getting the mental energy/organization to start homework
  • Filtering distractions enough to persist with assignments
  • Understanding unspoken or implied parts of the homework
  • Remembering to bring finished homework to class
  • Being in class long enough to know the material
  • Tolerating the fear of not knowing or failing
  • Not giving up the assignment because of a panic attack
  • Tolerating frustration—such as not understanding—without emotional dysregulation
  • Being able to ask for help—from a peer or a teacher and not being afraid to reach out

This list is hardly comprehensive. ADHD , autism spectrum disorder, social anxiety , generalized anxiety, panic disorder, depression , dysregulation, and a range of other neurodevelopmental and mental health challenges cause numerous learning differences and symptoms that can specifically and frequently interfere with getting homework done.

Saharak Wuttitham/Shutterstock

The Usual Diagnosis for Homework Problems is "Not Trying Hard Enough"

Unfortunately, when kids frequently struggle to meet homework demands, teachers and parents typically default to one explanation of the problem: The child is making a choice not to do their homework. That is the default “diagnosis” in classrooms and living rooms. And once this framework is drawn, the student is often seen as not trying hard enough, disrespectful, manipulative, or just plain lazy.

The fundamental disconnect here is that the diagnosis of homework struggles as a behavioral choice is, in fact, only one explanation, while there are so many other diagnoses and differences that impair children's ability to consistently do their homework. If we are trying to create solutions based on only one understanding of the problem, the solutions will not work. More devastatingly, the wrong solutions can worsen the child’s mental health and their long-term engagement with school and learning.

To be clear, we aren’t talking about children who sometimes struggle with or skip homework—kids who can change and adapt their behaviors and patterns in response to the outcomes of that struggle. For this discussion, we are talking about children with mental health and/or neurodevelopmental symptoms and challenges that create chronic difficulties with meeting homework demands.

How Can You Help a Child Who Struggles with Homework?

How can you help your child who is struggling to meet homework demands because of their ADHD, depression, anxiety, OCD , school avoidance, or any other neurodevelopmental or mental health differences? Let’s break this down into two broad areas—things you can do at home, and things you can do in communication with the school.

what phobia of homework

Helping at Home

The following suggestions for managing school demands at home can feel counterintuitive to parents—because we usually focus on helping our kids to complete their tasks. But mental health needs jump the line ahead of task completion. And starting at home will be key to developing an idea of what needs to change at school.

  • Set an end time in the evening after which no more homework will be attempted. Kids need time to decompress and they need sleep—and pushing homework too close to or past bedtime doesn’t serve their educational needs. Even if your child hasn’t been able to approach the homework at all, even if they have avoided and argued the whole evening, it is still important for everyone to have a predictable time to shut down the whole process.
  • If there are arguments almost every night about homework, if your child isn’t starting homework or finishing it, reframe it from failure into information. It’s data to put into problem-solving. We need to consider other possible explanations besides “behavioral choice” when trying to understand the problem and create effective solutions. What problems are getting in the way of our child’s meeting homework demands that their peers are meeting most of the time?
  • Try not to argue about homework. If you can check your own anxiety and frustration, it can be more productive to ally with your child and be curious with them. Kids usually can’t tell you a clear “why” but maybe they can tell you how they are feeling and what they are thinking. And if your child can’t talk about it or just keeps saying “I don't know,” try not to push. Come back another time. Rushing, forcing, yelling, and threatening will predictably not help kids do homework.

Lapina/Shutterstock

Helping at School

The second area to explore when your neurodiverse child struggles frequently with homework is building communication and connections with school and teachers. Some places to focus on include the following.

  • Label your child’s diagnoses and break down specific symptoms for the teachers and school team. Nonjudgmental, but specific language is essential for teachers to understand your child’s struggles. Breaking their challenges down into the problems specific to homework can help with building solutions. As your child gets older, help them identify their difficulties and communicate them to teachers.
  • Let teachers and the school team know that your child’s mental health needs—including sleep—take priority over finishing homework. If your child is always struggling to complete homework and get enough sleep, or if completing homework is leading to emotional meltdowns every night, adjusting their homework demands will be more successful than continuing to push them into sleep deprivation or meltdowns.
  • Request a child study team evaluation to determine if your child qualifies for services under special education law such as an IEP, or accommodations through section 504—and be sure that homework adjustments are included in any plan. Or if such a plan is already in place, be clear that modification of homework expectations needs to be part of it.

The Long-Term Story

I still work with Chelsea and she recently mentioned how those conversations so many years ago are still part of how she approaches work tasks or other demands that are spiking her anxiety when she finds herself in a vortex of distress. She stops what she is doing and prioritizes reducing her anxiety—whether it’s a break during her day or an ending to the task for the evening. She sees that this is crucial to managing her anxiety in her life and still succeeding at what she is doing.

Task completion at all costs is not a solution for kids with emotional needs. Her story (and the story of many of my patients) make this crystal clear.

Candida Fink M.D.

Candida Fink, M.D. , is board certified in child/adolescent and general psychiatry. She practices in New York and has co-authored two books— The Ups and Downs of Raising a Bipolar Child and Bipolar Disorder for Dummies.

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what phobia of homework

It's no secret that kids hate homework. And as students grapple with an ongoing pandemic that has had a wide-range of mental health impacts, is it time schools start listening to their pleas over workloads?

Some teachers are turning to social media to take a stand against homework .

Tiktok user @misguided.teacher says he doesn't assign it because the "whole premise of homework is flawed."

For starters, he says he can't grade work on "even playing fields" when students' home environments can be vastly different.

"Even students who go home to a peaceful house, do they really want to spend their time on busy work? Because typically that's what a lot of homework is, it's busy work," he says in the video that has garnered 1.6 million likes. "You only get one year to be 7, you only got one year to be 10, you only get one year to be 16, 18."

Mental health experts agree heavy work loads have the potential do more harm than good for students, especially when taking into account the impacts of the pandemic. But they also say the answer may not be to eliminate homework altogether.

Emmy Kang, mental health counselor at Humantold, says studies have shown heavy workloads can be "detrimental" for students and cause a "big impact on their mental, physical and emotional health."

"More than half of students say that homework is their primary source of stress, and we know what stress can do on our bodies," she says, adding that staying up late to finish assignments also leads to disrupted sleep and exhaustion.

Cynthia Catchings, a licensed clinical social worker and therapist at Talkspace, says heavy workloads can also cause serious mental health problems in the long run, like anxiety and depression.

And for all the distress homework causes, it's not as useful as many may think, says Dr. Nicholas Kardaras, a psychologist and CEO of Omega Recovery treatment center.

"The research shows that there's really limited benefit of homework for elementary age students, that really the school work should be contained in the classroom," he says.

For older students, Kang says homework benefits plateau at about two hours per night.

"Most students, especially at these high-achieving schools, they're doing a minimum of three hours, and it's taking away time from their friends from their families, their extracurricular activities. And these are all very important things for a person's mental and emotional health."

Catchings, who also taught third to 12th graders for 12 years, says she's seen the positive effects of a no homework policy while working with students abroad.

"Not having homework was something that I always admired from the French students (and) the French schools, because that was helping the students to really have the time off and really disconnect from school ," she says.

The answer may not be to eliminate homework completely, but to be more mindful of the type of work students go home with, suggests Kang, who was a high-school teacher for 10 years.

"I don't think (we) should scrap homework, I think we should scrap meaningless, purposeless busy work-type homework. That's something that needs to be scrapped entirely," she says, encouraging teachers to be thoughtful and consider the amount of time it would take for students to complete assignments.

The pandemic made the conversation around homework more crucial

Mindfulness surrounding homework is especially important in the context of the last two years. Many students will be struggling with mental health issues that were brought on or worsened by the pandemic, making heavy workloads even harder to balance.

"COVID was just a disaster in terms of the lack of structure. Everything just deteriorated," Kardaras says, pointing to an increase in cognitive issues and decrease in attention spans among students. "School acts as an anchor for a lot of children, as a stabilizing force, and that disappeared."

But even if students transition back to the structure of in-person classes, Kardaras suspects students may still struggle after two school years of shifted schedules and disrupted sleeping habits.

"We've seen adults struggling to go back to in-person work environments from remote work environments. That effect is amplified with children because children have less resources to be able to cope with those transitions than adults do," he explains.

'Get organized' ahead of back-to-school

In order to make the transition back to in-person school easier, Kang encourages students to "get good sleep, exercise regularly (and) eat a healthy diet."

To help manage workloads, she suggests students "get organized."

"There's so much mental clutter up there when you're disorganized... sitting down and planning out their study schedules can really help manage their time," she says.

Breaking assignments up can also make things easier to tackle.

"I know that heavy workloads can be stressful, but if you sit down and you break down that studying into smaller chunks, they're much more manageable."

If workloads are still too much, Kang encourages students to advocate for themselves.

"They should tell their teachers when a homework assignment just took too much time or if it was too difficult for them to do on their own," she says. "It's good to speak up and ask those questions. Respectfully, of course, because these are your teachers. But still, I think sometimes teachers themselves need this feedback from their students."

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End Homework Anxiety: Stress-Busting Techniques for Your Child

homework-anxiety-explained

Sometimes kids dread homework because they'd rather be outside playing when they're not at school. But, sometimes a child's resistance to homework is more intense than a typical desire to be having fun, and it can be actually be labeled as homework anxiety: a legitimate condition suffered by some students who feel intense feelings of fear and dread when it comes to doing homework. Read on to learn about what homework anxiety is and whether your child may be suffering from it.

What is Homework Anxiety?

Homework anxiety is a condition in which students stress about and fear homework, often causing them to put homework off until later . It is a self-exacerbating condition because the longer the student puts off the homework, the more anxiety they feel about it, and the more pressure they experience to finish the work with less time. Homework anxiety can cripple some kids who are perfectly capable of doing the work, causing unfinished assignments and grades that slip.

What Causes Homework Anxiety?

There are many causes of homework anxiety, and there can be multiple factors spurring feelings of fear and stress. Some common causes of homework anxiety include:

  • Other anxiety issues: Students who tend to suffer anxiety and worry, in general, can begin to associate anxiety with their homework, as well.
  • Fear of testing: Often, homework is associated with upcoming tests and quizzes, which affect grades. Students can feel pressure related to being "graded" and avoid homework since it feels weighty and important.
  • General school struggle: When students are struggling in school or with grades, they may feel a sense of anxiety about learning and school in general.
  • Lack of support: Without a parent, sibling, tutor, or other help at home, students may feel that they won't have the necessary support to complete an assignment.
  • Perfectionism: Students who want to perform perfectly in school may get anxious about completing a homework assignment perfectly and, in turn, procrastinate.

Basic Tips for Helping with Homework Anxiety

To help your child with homework anxiety, there are a few basic tips to try. Set time limits for homework, so that students know there is a certain time of the day when they must start and finish assignments. This helps them avoid putting off homework until it feels too rushed and pressured. Make sure your student has support available when doing their work, so they know they'll be able to ask for help if needed. Teaching your child general tips to deal with anxiety can also help, like deep breathing, getting out to take a short walk, or quieting racing thoughts in their mind to help them focus.

How can the Brain Balance Program Help with Homework Anxiety?

Extensive scientific research demonstrates that the brain is malleable, allowing for brain connectivity change and development and creating an opportunity for improvement at any age. Brain Balance has applied this research to develop a program that focuses on building brain connectivity and improving the foundation of development, rather than masking or coping with symptoms.

If you have a child or a teenager who struggles with homework anxiety, an assessment can help to identify key areas for improvement and create an action plan for you and your child. To get started, take our quick, free online assessment by clicking the link below. 

Get started with a plan for your child today.

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Promoting Homework Adherence in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Adolescent Depression

Nathaniel j. jungbluth.

Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Seattle Children’s Hospital, Seattle, WA

Stephen R. Shirk

Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, CO

This study used prospective, observational methods to evaluate six features of therapist behavior as predictors of homework adherence in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for adolescent depression, with the goal of identifying therapist strategies with the potential to improve adolescent adherence. Therapist behaviors were expected to interact with initial levels of client resistance or adherence to predict subsequent homework completion.

Participants were 50 referred adolescents (33 females, 54% ethnic minority) ages 14–18 ( M =15.9) meeting diagnostic criteria for a depressive disorder, and without co-morbid psychotic disorder, bipolar disorder, autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, or concurrent treatments. Therapist homework-related behaviors were coded from audiotapes of Sessions 1 and 2 and used to predict adolescents’ homework adherence, coded from audiotapes of Sessions 2 and 3.

Several therapist behaviors were predictive of subsequent homework adherence, particularly for initially resistant or non-adherent adolescents. Stronger homework rationale and greater time allocated to explaining homework in Session 1 predicted greater adherence at Session 2, particularly for initially resistant adolescents. Stronger rationale and eliciting reactions/troubleshooting obstacles in Session 2 predicted greater adherence at Session 3, particularly for adolescents who were less adherent to prior homework.

Conclusions

Strategies such as providing a strong rationale, allocating more time to assigning homework, and eliciting reactions/troubleshooting obstacles may be effective ways to bolster homework adherence among initially less engaged, depressed teens.

The assignment of homework is considered important in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) as a means to build and generalize new client skills. A growing body of evidence supports homework as an active ingredient in CBT for adults (see Kazantzis et al., 2010 , for a meta-analysis). Although only a handful of empirical studies have examined the role of homework in youth treatments ( Clarke et al., 1992 ; Gaynor, Lawrence & Nelson-Gray, 2006 ; Hughes and Kendall, 2007 ; Kazdin, Bass, Siegel, & Thomas, 1989 ), there is some evidence supporting its positive association with outcome. Two studies of homework in CBT for adolescent depression yielded small to moderate correlations between homework adherence and outcome ( Clark et al., 1992 ; Gaynor et al., 2006 ). In both studies, adolescents completed about half of assigned homework tasks. Initial results, then, suggest homework completion contributes to better depression outcomes, but adolescent adherence is far from optimal. Thus, one way to improve CBT for adolescent depression could be through increased homework adherence.

A small number of studies in the adult treatment literature have examined therapist behaviors thought to be associated with increased homework adherence. These empirical studies have largely focused on four cognitive therapy strategies originally prescribed by Beck, Rush, Shaw, and Emery (1979) , which include: 1) providing clear and specific task instructions and custom-tailoring homework tasks to client problems when possible; 2) providing a rationale for the assignment, stressing the importance and the goals of the task; 3) eliciting patient reactions and possible obstacles to completion of the homework, troubleshooting when necessary; and 4) reviewing assignments from the previous session, summarizing progress made or conclusions drawn from the exercise. Each of these strategies has received some empirical support with adults ( Bryant, Simons & Thase, 1999 ; Detweiler-Bedell & Whisman, 2005 ; Ryum, Stiles, Svartberg, & McCullough, 2010 ; Shaw et al., 1999 ).

Despite suboptimal homework adherence among teens, little is known about processes that improve adherence in youth. Beck and colleagues’ (1979) prescribed strategies provide a framework for examining therapist homework-related behavior with adolescents. From a developmental perspective, the strategy of eliciting adolescent reactions and perceived obstacles to homework completion seems particularly important given that a collaborative approach has been shown to facilitate alliance development with adolescents ( Diamond, Liddle, Hogue, & Dakof, 1999 ), who can be reactive to adult prescriptions or requests.

Of course, “adherence-enhancing behaviors” do not occur in a vacuum. Adolescents vary significantly in their readiness to engage in treatment, and prior research has found that adolescents with higher levels of initial resistance showed poorer subsequent involvement in treatment tasks ( Jungbluth & Shirk, 2009 ). Similarly, early homework adherence has been found to predict subsequent adherence ( Addis & Jacobson, 2000 ). Thus, adolescents who have shown high initial resistance or poor adherence to a previous homework task are likely at greater risk for future non-adherence. It is hypothesized that initially resistant or non-adherent adolescents might benefit most from additional therapist use of adherence-enhancing strategies. Specifically, greater therapist attention to specifying homework tasks, providing a strong rationale, and troubleshooting obstacles, as well as the sheer amount of time devoted to assigning tasks, may be especially relevant for adolescents who are initially resistant or non-adherent to previous assignments. These same therapist behaviors may not be as critical for adolescents with good early engagement or strong prior homework adherence. Teens who have been adherent to prior homework tasks may benefit more from different therapist behaviors, such as more extensive homework review and therapist use of praise.

In summary, this study evaluated six features of therapist behavior as predictors of homework adherence in CBT for adolescent depression. Session recordings from a study of individually delivered, manual-guided CBT for adolescent depression were utilized. Therapist behaviors were expected to interact with initial levels of client resistance and adherence to predict subsequent homework completion. Coding and analysis of therapist adherence-enhancing behaviors were limited to the first two sessions of treatment for two reasons: 1) Previous research with adults has linked early homework to treatment gains ( Addis & Jacobson, 2000 ; Fennell & Teasdale, 1987 ) and later homework adherence ( Addis & Jacobson, 2000 ); 2) Sample size constrained our ability to evaluate complex interactions in later sessions (when therapist behavior may interact with or depend upon factors from all prior sessions, such as the cumulative effects of resistance, prior therapist behavior, and the trajectory of homework adherence).

Participants

The data were obtained from an open clinical trial of CBT for depressed adolescents in an urban setting in the Rocky Mountain West (see Shirk, Kaplinski & Gudmundsen, 2009 , for a detailed description of study procedures, which were IRB approved prior to initiating the study). Current study participants were 50 referred adolescents (33 females), between ages 14 and 18 ( M = 15.9), who met diagnostic criteria for Major Depressive Disorder ( n =37), Dysthymic Disorder ( n =10), or Depressive Disorder, Not Otherwise Specified ( n =3), as assessed with the Computerized Diagnostic Interview Scale for Children (C-DISC; Shaffer, Fisher, Lucas, Dulcan, & Schwab-Stone, 2000 ). Exclusionary criteria were: diagnoses of co-morbid Psychotic Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorder, or Intellectual Disability; concurrent therapy; or medication for depressive symptoms.

Sixty-six percent of the sample met criteria for a comorbid disorder including generalized anxiety disorder (42%), conduct disorder (34%), social phobia (22%), and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (12%). Twenty-eight percent of the treatment sample met criteria for three or more disorders. Forty percent reported a lifetime history of attempted suicide.

By self-report, 54 percent of the sample identified as ethnic minority, including 11 African American/Black, 11 Hispanic/Latino, two Native American, two Biracial, and two Other, with some adolescents endorsing multiple categories. Socioeconomic status was indexed by parent occupation on the Hollingshead Index ( Hollingshead, 1976 ), with an average score of 4.1 ( SD= 2.1), corresponding to skilled manual workers, craftsmen, and small business owners. Fifty adolescents started treatment, with two dropping out before the second session and five more before Session 3. Available sample size varied across primary analyses from 41 to 33 due to client dropout, mechanical audiotape failure, therapist failure to record a session, and, in a small number of cases, insufficient detail on the audiotape for coding of homework adherence, as discussed in greater detail below. Demographic or study variables did not differ across groups with or without missing data.

High school site coordinators identified and referred potential participants for inclusion in the study. Participants completed a computer-administered diagnostic interview (C-DISC) and demographic questionnaires at the pre-treatment interview. Participating adolescents received free treatment and monetary compensation for completion of research interviews.

A twelve-session, manual-guided, outpatient cognitive-behavioral treatment, adapted for adolescents and evaluated by Rossello and Bernal (1999) , was delivered by eight therapists. Goals of the first session were to build rapport, gather information, provide rationale and expectations for treatment, provide education about depression, and introduce mood monitoring homework. The second session included education about negative thinking and its link to mood, followed by introduction of a thought monitoring homework task. In session three, therapists continued discussing negative thinking in relation to depressed mood and introduced skills for challenging negative thoughts, which were then assigned as homework. A review of 25 percent of audiotapes selected randomly indicated high therapist fidelity to the treatment manual, with 83 percent of components delivered ( Shirk, Gudmundsen, Crisp Kaplinski, & McMakin, 2008 ).

All eight therapists had doctoral degrees in clinical psychology, attended a daylong workshop, conducted a supervised practice case, and then received 1.5 hours of weekly group supervision by a licensed psychologist with extensive CBT experience.

Weekly homework assignments were described in the manual, and time was allocated in every session for assigning new homework and reviewing the previous session’s homework. Teens also received workbooks and handouts on which to record assignments. Session 1 homework required adolescents to record daily mood ratings and triggers for negative arousal. Session 2 was the same, but included recording automatic thoughts associated with negative mood or events. Specific guidelines for how to assign homework were not included in the manual.

Computerized Diagnostic Interview Scale for Children 4.0 (C-DISC)

The C-DISC ( Shaffer et al., 2000 ) is a highly structured diagnostic interview with good reliability and criterion validity for identifying psychiatric disorders among youth ( Shaffer et al., 2000 ). The mood, anxiety, and disruptive behavior modules were computer administered to screen for inclusion and exclusion disorders and to measure depression severity based on total symptoms endorsed.

Homework Adherence

Homework adherence was coded from audiotapes of Sessions 2 and 3, in random order, on a seven-point scale (0=“no effort” to 6=“did more than was asked or exceptional effort”). Reliability of homework adherence coding, based on double coding of 30 percent of sessions ( n = 25), was good, with a two-way random effects intraclass correlation ( ICC ) of .72. Of the 91 existing sessions we set out to code, 84 were given homework adherence ratings. The remaining seven sessions (7.7 percent) could not be coded for one of several reasons: 1) mechanical audiotape error, 2) therapist forgot to record the session, or 3) there was insufficient information on the audiotape to determine a rating. Observed adherence ratings ranged from 0 to 6 (Session 2 M =4.51, SD =1.01 and Session 3 M= 4.21, SD =1.12 after outlier adjustment).

Adherence-Enhancing Behaviors

Behaviors thought to promote homework adherence were measured using the Therapist Homework Adherence Behavior Scale (THABS), an adaptation of Bryant and colleagues’ (1999) measure from CT for depressed adults. The scale includes six items: 1) specification of the task, 2) provision of rationale, 3) elicitation of client reactions and troubleshooting of difficulties, 4) review of previous homework assignment, 5) praise for homework adherence, and 6) total time spent assigning the task. The first five items were rated on a scale from zero (not done) to four (very well done) and anchored to enhance reliability. The sixth item was scored as simply the number of seconds devoted to assigning homework. Two-way random effects intraclass correlations ( ICC s), based on double coding of 21 percent of available sessions ( n = 19), ranged from .27 to .84 (mean ICC = .67; See Table 1 for item descriptions, ICC s, and descriptive data). Item 4 (review of previous homework assignment) was dropped due to low reliability. Four Session 1 tapes could not be coded because of mechanical tape failure ( n = 2) and therapists forgetting to tape the session ( n = 2). One Session 2 tape could not be coded because a therapist forgot to tape the session.

Adherence-Enhancing Behaviors: Item Descriptions, ICCs and Descriptive Data

Initial Resistance

Initial resistance was assessed during Session 1 using six items adapted from the observational Vanderbilt Negative Indicators Scale ( Suh, Strupp, & O’Malley, 1986 ). Observers used audiotapes to code a 15-minute segment for each client, beginning five minutes into Session 1. This early segment was chosen to begin after introductions and initial scheduling concerns were addressed but before the therapist had time to build much rapport, to better capture the client’s contribution to process. Client demeanor was rated using five items covering five dimensions: hostile, frustrated, impatient, intellectualizing, and defensive. A sixth item was used to rate client negative reactions to the therapist. All items were rated on a 5-point scale ranging from 1 ( not at all ) to 5 ( a great deal ) and totaled. Internal consistency for the scale was good (Cronbach’s alpha = .89) and a one-way mixed random ICC (using 25% of scores) demonstrated strong inter-rater reliability ( ICC = .88). Four Session 1 tapes could not be coded for initial resistance, for reasons listed above. Initial resistance, adherence-enhancing behaviors, and homework adherence were coded by separate sets of coders to avoid bias. Scores ranged from 6 to 25 ( M =7.54, SD =1.91, after outlier adjustment).

Outliers were identified for three of the Session 1 THABS items (specifying task: 3 outliers; providing rationale: 5 outliers; time spent assigning: 2 outliers), and both homework adherence variables (Session 2 adherence: 5 outliers; Session 3 adherence: 6 outliers). Outliers were adjusted by bringing them in to 1.5 times the interquartile range beyond the first or third quartile to prevent undue influence. Skew and kurtosis were within acceptable ranges for all variables. Examination of Mahalanobis distance for all interaction model variables revealed no multivariate outliers.

Client characteristics

We tested client demographic (age, gender, race/ethnicity) and clinical (initial depression severity) variables as predictors of homework adherence at Sessions 2 and 3. The only predictor was Hispanic/Latino ethnicity ( Spearman r = −.31, p = .03), such that adolescents who self-identified as Hispanic/Latino were less adherent for the first homework task. Thus, Hispanic/Latino was included as a control variable in all analyses predicting homework adherence.

Initial resistance

As expected, initial resistance showed a small, though non-significant, association with homework adherence at Session 2 ( r = −.26, p = .09) and Session 3 ( r = −.23, p = .18). Initial resistance was included as a predictor or moderator in all analyses of therapist behaviors in relation to homework adherence.

Therapist effects

Analyses were conducted to evaluate the possible influence of therapist effects on homework adherence. Two separate univariate Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) models were run with therapists as the independent grouping factor and Session 2 and Session 3 homework adherence ratings as dependent variables. Results showed no significant therapist effects on these variables ( p ’s > .4).

Correlations among HWA predictors

Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated to examine the association among the six therapist behaviors, as well as the three other predictor variables (initial resistance, Session 2 homework adherence, and Hispanic/Latino ethnicity) to be evaluated as predictors of HWA. These associations are presented in Table 2 . Although several of the therapist behaviors were significantly correlated with one another, no correlation exceeded .52 and most associations were very small and non-significant; thus, the coding system appears to have captured relatively discrete, non-overlapping constructs. Also, therapist behaviors were generally not associated with initial resistance or homework adherence at Session 2, and initial resistance and homework adherence at Session 2 were only associated with one another at a trend level. Hispanic/Latino ethnicity was associated greater therapist provision of rationale at Session 2 (r = .29, p < .05).

Correlations Among Session 1 and 2 Predictors of Homework Adherence

Session 1 therapist behaviors predicting homework adherence in Session 2

Each of the four Session 1 therapist behaviors were entered into separate multiple regressions. In each regression, therapist behavior was entered along with initial resistance, Hispanic/Latino ethnicity, and the interaction term (therapist behavior centered x initial resistance centered) as predictors of homework adherence at Session 2. Results of these regressions are described below and in Table 3 .

Multiple Regression Analyses Predicting Homework Adherence at Session 2 from Therapist Adherence-Enhancing Behaviors in Session 1

Initial resistance demonstrated a small to medium effect across regressions ( β ’s from −.23 to −.40), as did Hispanic/Latino ethnicity ( β ’s from −.33 to −.44). In addition, interaction effects were observed for two therapist behaviors: As illustrated in Figure 1 , and consistent with our hypothesis, provision of rationale in Session 1 predicted Session 2 adherence more strongly for adolescents who were initially more resistant (interaction term β = .31, p = .03). As illustrated in Figure 2 , and also consistent with our hypothesis, the positive predictive association between time spent assigning in Session 1 and adherence in Session 2 appeared stronger for adolescents who were initially more resistant (interaction term β = .30, p = .03). (In Figures 1 and ​ and2, 2 , initial resistance was dichotomized at the median into high and low groups for the purposes of illustration.) There was also a trend-level main effect for time spent assigning the homework ( β = .26, p = .07) predicting Session 2 adherence.

An external file that holds a picture, illustration, etc.
Object name is nihms425232f1.jpg

The interaction between initial resistance (IR) and provision of rationale in Session 1 to predict homework adherence at Session 2, controlling for Hispanic/Latino ethnicity.

An external file that holds a picture, illustration, etc.
Object name is nihms425232f2.jpg

The interaction between initial resistance (IR) and the amount of time therapist spent assigning homework in Session 1 to predict homework adherence at Session 2, controlling for Hispanic/Latino ethnicity.

Session 2 therapist behaviors predicting clients’ homework adherence at Session 3, considering prior adherence

Next, we examined whether the same four adherence-enhancing behaviors, this time measured in Session 2, would interact with clients’ level of prior homework adherence to predict adherence at Session 3. Each of the four therapist behaviors were entered into separate multiple regressions along with Session 2 homework adherence, initial resistance, Hispanic/Latino ethnicity, and the interaction term (therapist behavior centered x Session 2 homework adherence centered). The dependent variable was homework adherence at Session 3. Results of these multiple regressions are described below and displayed in Table 4 .

Multiple Regression Analyses Predicting Homework Adherence at Session 3 from Therapist Adherence-Enhancing Behaviors in Session 2

Initial resistance demonstrated a small to medium effect across regressions ( β ’s from −.20 to −.47), and Session 2 homework adherence demonstrated a medium effect across regressions ( β ’s from .34 to .43) predicting Session 3 adherence. In addition, interaction effects were observed for two of the therapist behaviors: Consistent with our prediction, and as illustrated in Figure 3 , provision of rationale in Session 2 predicted homework adherence at Session 3 most strongly for those adolescents who had shown poorer adherence to the previous homework task (interaction term β = −.45, p = .01). Also consistent with our prediction, and as illustrated in Figure 4 , eliciting client reactions and troubleshooting obstacles to adherence in Session 2 was positively associated with homework adherence in Session 3 for adolescents who had shown poorer prior adherence (interaction term β = −.40, p = .026). (In Figures 3 and ​ and4, 4 , Session 2 homework adherence was dichotomized into high and low groups for the purposes of illustration. High adherence reflected scores of “5” or higher, and low adherence reflected scores lower than “5” on the homework adherence scale.)

An external file that holds a picture, illustration, etc.
Object name is nihms425232f3.jpg

The interaction between Session 2 homework adherence (HW2) and Session 2 providing rationale to predict homework adherence at Session 3, controlling for level of initial resistance and Hispanic/Latino ethnicity.

An external file that holds a picture, illustration, etc.
Object name is nihms425232f4.jpg

The interaction between Session 2 homework adherence (HW2) and Session 2 eliciting reactions/troubleshooting obstacles to predict homework adherence at Session 3, controlling for level of initial resistance and Hispanic/Latino ethnicity.

Contingent praise in Session 2 was also examined as a predictor of Session 3 homework adherence using multiple regression. Of 33 participants with complete data for this analysis, 28 had completed at least some of the first homework assignment and were included. Praise, Session 2 homework adherence, initial resistance and Hispanic/Latino ethnicity were entered as predictors of Session 3 homework adherence. Results showed significant main effects for Session 2 homework adherence ( β = .62, p = .002) and initial resistance ( β = −.48, p = .008). The praise term was not significant ( p = .18).

The current study used prospective, observational methods to examine six therapist behaviors thought to bolster adolescents’ adherence to homework tasks. Consistent with the adult literature, homework adherence was not merely a function of client characteristics, but instead was associated with variations in the way therapists assigned and reviewed homework tasks. Importantly, the positive impact of several therapist behaviors on early homework adherence was conditioned by client behaviors, including early resistance and prior adherence, underscoring the interactive nature of therapy processes.

It was hypothesized that four therapist behaviors—specifying the task, providing rationale, eliciting reactions/troubleshooting obstacles, and amount of time spent assigning—would predict subsequent adherence, with the greatest effects for adolescents who were at risk for poor homework adherence. Adolescents were determined to be at risk for poor adherence if they demonstrated higher levels of initial resistance in Session 1 and if they demonstrated poor adherence on the first homework task, due in Session 2. Consistent with predictions, three therapist behaviors interacted with the risk variables to predict subsequent adherence.

First, adolescents with higher levels of initial resistance and lower levels of initial adherence were more likely to adhere to subsequent homework assignments when therapists provided a strong rationale. This association was not observed with less resistant and initially more adherent adolescents. Greater provision of rationale did not predict adherence with adults ( Bryant et al. 1999 ), but only main effects were examined. Alternatively, provision of a clear rationale may be particularly important for adolescents compared to adults.

Second, the amount of time therapists devoted to assigning homework in Session 1 predicted adherence in Session 2 at a trend level, and this effect was stronger for adolescents who were initially more resistant. This finding suggests therapists may be able to promote greater adherence by setting aside more time in sessions for assigning tasks, especially for relatively disengaged teens. Associations among therapist behavior variables suggest therapists who spent more time assigning homework were also doing a better job specifying the task and providing rationale for it. Time spent in Session 2 did not predict subsequent adherence, perhaps owing to similarity of homework assignments across early sessions.

Third, when adolescents did not show strong adherence to the first homework assignment, therapist efforts to elicit reactions and troubleshoot obstacles in the second session predicted better adherence to the next assignment. This finding converges with three studies with adults indicating positive effects for eliciting reactions and troubleshooting ( Bryant et al., 1999 , Detweiler-Bedell & Whisman, 2005 , & Worthington, 1986 ). The same therapist behavior, when measured in the first session, did not predict adherence in Session 2, even when initial resistance was considered as a moderator. It may have been easier to identify and address obstacles after they occurred than before.

Another behavior, specifying the homework task, did not predict subsequent adherence in either session, which may reflect that worksheets with clear written instructions were provided. Providing written reminders has been linked to improved medical adherence ( Cox, Tisdelle & Culbert, 1988 , Stone et al., 2002 ) and better therapy outcomes for depressed adults ( Detweiler-Bedell & Whisman, 2005 ).

In examining these four therapist behaviors, consideration of context variables (initial resistance and prior adherence) was essential. Contrary to expectations, only one of the four therapist behaviors trended toward a main effect on subsequent adherence. The remaining predictive effects were only significant when considering these moderators, and results begin to address the clinically important question of how to improve low adherence.

There was also an association between Hispanic/Latino ethnicity and adherence to the first homework task; however, this finding is viewed with caution, as Hispanic/Latino ethnicity was not associated with adherence to the second homework task or initial resistance, nor did it predict alliance or outcome in a previous study with the current sample ( Shirk, Gudmundsen, Crisp Kaplinski, & McMakin, 2008 ).

This study had a number of limitations. First, though larger than most prior studies in this literature, sample size was limited. Given power limitations (power for medium effects ranged between .5 and .7) and the exploratory nature of the study, we made no alpha adjustment for the number of analyses conducted; with Bonferroni correction for the main analyses, adjusted alpha would have been .004. Consequently, replication is essential. Second, identified associations were correlational. Future studies should experimentally manipulate therapist behaviors to clarify causality. Third, therapist behaviors were not examined beyond the second session of treatment; thus, current findings may not generalize to middle and later phases of therapy when assignments often become more demanding. Fourth, although standardized homework assignments in the current protocol offered methodological advantages (e.g., variability in adherence across adolescents could not be attributed to variation in homework tasks), this prevented examination of some therapist strategies (e.g., collaborative task generation, individual tailoring) and may have constrained effect sizes for others (e.g., task specification). Similarly, the manual’s specification of homework review likely constrained variation in this behavior. Finally, interrater reliability for therapist praise was suboptimal.

Clinically, therapists faced with depressed adolescents who initially show poor engagement or marginal homework adherence may consider spending more time assigning homework and providing a strong rationale linking homework tasks to recovery. In addition, therapists may be able to improve poor initial adherence by taking time to troubleshoot obstacles that arise. In sum, how therapists address homework relates to how much homework depressed adolescents will do.

Contributor Information

Nathaniel J. Jungbluth, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Seattle Children’s Hospital, Seattle, WA.

Stephen R. Shirk, Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, CO.

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Fear of School: Why Your Teen Is Scared and How To Help 

For many teens, going to school is a normal part of their routine. But for some, the very idea triggers stress and anxiety because they have a fear of school.  

If your teen worries about heading to class, learn why they may be anxious as well as how to help them navigate their concerns in a healthy way and overcome school phobia.   

Table of contents

What is the fear of school  , fear of homework or homework anxiety  , fear of school shootings  , fear of teachers  , separation anxiety  , childhood trauma , school bullying  , low self-esteem  , history of mental health issues  , 9 ways parents can help with the fear of school , your child’s fear of school: one more thought on talking to a professional .

The fear of school, also called school phobia, is when the thought of going to school — including interacting with classmates or teachers, doing homework, or engaging in sports on campus — feels far too difficult or overwhelming to your teenager.   

 As noted in a Harvard Medical School article, fear of going to school can show up in a few ways, including: 

  • Attendance issues, such as skipping class, going to school late, or leaving early. 
  • Physical symptoms, such as headaches, fatigue, and stomachaches. 

If your teen is struggling with a fear of going to school, they also might procrastinate on homework or avoid studying for a test. 

Why Your Child Is Scared To Go To School  

There are many reasons why you might have a nervous student on your hands. 

Homework anxiety and the fear of schoolwork are closely associated with a teen’s stress about grades and exams.  

“I have a lot of teens who have significant anxiety about their performance,” said Russ Yost, a licensed marriage and family therapist and licensed professional counselor at Doorways , an outpatient center in Arizona. “They want to get good grades. They might be in honors classes. Some teenagers think to themselves, ‘If I don’t get good grades, I won’t get into a good college, and I’ll be a failure.'” 

It’s not unusual for teens to have a fear of school shootings , particularly soon after one happens. For example, shortly after the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting where 17 people were killed, nearly 6 out of 10 teenagers ages 13-17 were worried about potential campus shootings, according to a Pew Research Center survey.  

So far in 2022, there have been at least 24 acts of gun violence on K-12 campuses during the school day, according to the Washington Post .  

There are multiple reasons a teenager could have a fear of teachers, also known as teacher phobia. For some, it may be due to social anxiety.  

“Maybe the big public schools are just too much for them,” Yost said, adding that some teens are anxious about interacting with teachers because they’ve been learning remotely during the pandemic.  

There may also be cases where a fear of teachers happens because a teenager’s personality doesn’t match a certain instruction style. For example, according to a study published in PLOS One , strict teachers with controlling teaching styles are associated with a higher rate of fear of failure. 

Separation anxiety is often behind a teen refusing to go to or stay in class, as they’re reluctant to leave home or engage in independent activity, according to the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry . The academy shared school avoidance can also happen after a change at school, such as going from middle school to high school, or a significant change at home, such as a divorce, illness, or death in the family.  

Childhood trauma presents multiple challenges for children, such as negative thinking, difficulty learning, and hypervigilance (being overly alert to danger), according to the Child Mind Institute . All of this can make school feel especially stressful. In fact, the Child Mind Institute noted that chronic trauma can cause serious issues not only with learning but also with behavior.  

Fear of school and school avoidance are common responses to school bullying, which affects younger and older teens. According to the most recent School Crime Supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey , in 2019, about 22% of students ages 12-18 reported being bullied on campus during the school year. The two most frequent methods were being the subject of rumors and being made fun of, called names, or insulted.  

The American Psychological Association has reported that a lack of confidence or low self-esteem can cause your teen to doubt their ability to succeed. This can cause them to avoid school tasks. For instance, a study in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found an association between poor self-esteem and school refusal behavior. 

Anxiety was the most common mental health concern for children ages 3-17 from 2018 to 2019, according to the National Survey of Children’s Health . The survey also reported that 13.2% of youths in that age group — just over 8 million — had a mental or behavioral health condition.  

According to a study published in The Lancet , anxiety and other common mental health issues such as depression and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are associated with school absenteeism.  

what phobia of homework

If your teenager has a fear of school and avoids going to class, it can create a harmful cycle. For example, a student with performance anxiety who skips classes will fall further behind academically, exacerbating a phobia of school.  

Yost recommended nine ways parents can help teens with their fear of school. These strategies give your son or daughter the mental health tools for overcoming school phobia and learning to cope with their anxiety.  

  • Discuss school worries. Yost suggested a collaborative approach since teens are learning independence and rarely want to be told what to do. “Teens have to buy in,” he said, “so you could say, ‘I’d love to sit down with you and understand what you’re thinking about school.’ Don’t make it a grill session — take your time, and make the conversation pleasant and playful.” 
  • Offer “rest days.” An occasional rest day — a brief respite from the stress and anxiety of school, peers, and social performance — gives your teen’s nervous system a chance to reset and calm down. These rest days can include proactive activities that promote rejuvenation and connection, such as going for a walk or spending one-on-one time with a parent. 

what phobia of homework

  • Practice positive reinforcement with your child. “Parents can be very critical, the kid gives up, and now you have parents who are angry and kids who are unmotivated,” Yost said. “As a parent, you need to have unconditional acceptance and have expectations that they can do well. You could say, ‘If you fail a class, I still love you. You’re still my precious kid, and I know you can succeed.'” 
  • Model positive behavior. Yost said many students, especially those who are anxious about academic performance and success, pick that up after comparing themselves to their parents. Observe your actions and how you communicate, and try to connect your teen’s value and success to effort and hard work — not simply earning good grades or getting into college. 
  • Don’t reinforce the fear of school. Teach your child to overcome and face their fears of school. For example, you could encourage them to practice stress management techniques and collaborative brainstorming. “Maybe they simply need a different school setting, or a smaller class, or an online environment,” Yost said.  
  • Talk to your teen about nutrition as self-care. Yost said some students struggle to eat well, and the importance of diet on school phobia and anxiety is often ignored. A Harvard medical school article that explored how food affects the way people feel had several recommendations for a healthier gut and improved mood, including eating whole foods, fiber, seafoods, lean poultry, and fresh fruits and vegetables.  
  • Exercise. Exercise has a positive impact on mental health, including anxiety and depression, as noted by the Anxiety & Depression Association of America and in a Mental Health and Physical Activity journal review of studies. The journal’s review also noted that physical activity can improve a youth’s self-concept, which is how they perceive themself. Encourage your teen to go for a walk at school during their lunch break, stay active on the weekends, or take part in school sports if they don’t have social anxiety. 
  • Reach out to a mental health professional for help. “If you’re not getting anywhere, see a family therapist,” Yost said. “The therapist will make sure everyone is heard and understood and the feelings underneath are looked at.” To find a mental health professional who fits your needs and situation, you can use the Psychology Today search tool . 

Communication is important to truly understanding why your teen is experiencing stress and anxiety around school, but healthy communication between a parent and teenager can be notoriously tough. Yost said it’s OK to contact a mental health professional for help if needed. 

“You’re doing the best you can, parent,” Yost said. “We all struggle with talking to our teens, and that’s what a family therapist can focus on.” 

Embark is the most trusted name in teen and young adult mental health treatment. We’re driven to find the help your family needs. If you’re looking for support,  contact us today !  

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5 Methods to Get over Your Fear of College Homework

what phobia of homework

As the day of the examinations draws nearer, students experience increasing levels of both anxiety and anticipation. Some of the graduates have never even utilized a demo version or a codifier, despite the fact that there is not much time remaining. How should one proceed when faced with such a scenario? Well, some opt to just pay for essay writing as an effortless way to get the job done quickly.

It is very clear that one must get started right away. However, there is still no response to the question of what should be done with the information that has already been gathered by the wagon and the tiny cart. You can find college homework help   here, as we all understand what a scary experience it may be first.  Don’t worry about it though since we’ll work it out together.

What fears haunt students?

Fears can prevent you from finishing your work, therefore before you can learn to conquer them. Understanding what is the fear of homework called and how to deal with it is vital for completing the task at hand.

In such a short time it is impossible to prepare

This is an example of bias or prejudice that, first and foremost, has to be eradicated. We have all heard countless stories of students who were accepted into college despite the fact that they either did not prepare at all for the exam or were crammed for it in just a few weeks. Despite this, you should not leap to the conclusion that your precautions are unneeded as a result of hearing such stories. Their sole purpose is to demonstrate that not even substantial research will ensure one will be successful .

I can’t learn everything

It’s possible that going over the content and the sample questions for the exam for the first time may make you feel anxious. Before doing an assignment, you need to push past the anxiety and engage your logical side by doing a dispassionate analysis of the project, identifying your strong and weak points, and conducting an assessment of your capabilities.

I get nervous and don’t remember anything

We don’t get into conflicts very often, although something like this does happen around once per thousand years on average. You will most certainly experience fear of homework and a great deal of anxiety in the first few minutes, but soon your thinking will return, and you will be able to approach the difficulties with composure and begin solving them.

I can’t handle

There must be a rational justification for all of this seeming worry, right? Really, who advised you to believe that? It’s possible that a teacher at your school lost control of the class, or that your mother’s hot hand accidentally fell on a situation from your history. The majority of students’ concerns that they would perform poorly on an assignment are unjustified. Find out where the information originated from, and after you realize there is no factual foundation for your fear of homework, you may start to relax about the situation. Anyone who has graduated from college is capable of performing well on the exam; the actual questions revolve around desire and expectations.

I won’t get the score I expect

Generally speaking, you need excellent test results to get into a prestigious university. This is a common concern among recent grads; their homework phobia is that they don’t want to risk a low exam score and end up in the wrong field. This apprehension, however, is rapidly removed upon learning that the myth that one must attend an elite institution to receive a quality education is not necessarily correct.

How to deal with fears?

Naturally, you can’t live your life in continual terror; if you don’t learn how to cope with your concerns now, they’ll be with you for the rest of your life. How spine-chilling is that? “What if I don’t succeed? How would I feel if I wasn’t able to get this job?” My biggest concern  is that his mother won’t like me. It is simple to let your problems accumulate like a snowball, which will keep you from living a calm life and moving closer to achieving your objective. However, what are some ways that we might overcome these challenges and proceed?

If you can keep your mind off of your concern for long enough to concentrate on the issue at hand, you may start to make progress on finding a solution to the problem. Studying the theory and “training your hand” by completing assignments will help you steadily improve your confidence; the more you do these things, the better your outcomes will be.

Find out how much time you have left to complete studying and get ready for the exam by doing the math. Make an attempt to tackle difficult jobs by first dividing them up into sections that are more doable for you. Keeping this kind of log of your accomplishments will help keep you motivated and aware of the progress you’ve made over time. Plan out and carry out a sequence of achievable tasks that will get you closer to your goal, and let each action that is successfully done become a source of joy as it is accomplished.

Do you have concerns about your performance on a test? It is time to take action right now. Participate in a trial class or conduct a simulated examination right in the convenience of your own home. You may create an environment that is analogous to that of an examination room by printing out the necessary documents, setting a timer, and stowing away your phone and any notes you may have. You may accomplish this by putting your mind through its paces and testing how well it can cope with the difficulties that it will encounter in the class.

Following this guidance, despite the fact that it could first cause you to feel more concerned, will ultimately be helpful to you. Imagine the worst that could possibly happen. What does it matter that you didn’t make the cutoff grade? Imagine telling your loved ones the news, weeping uncontrollably in your room while listening to your lecturers air their grievances, and then coming to the conclusion that you should not apply to Harvard because of the amount of attention  it would get from the media. Put an end to your worrying. I’m sorry, but even if you didn’t pass the test, nothing has changed in the world. You and the planet that we live on continue to do what they have always done, which is to circle around the sun. Your family and friends are there to help you in any way they can. There is nothing that could make this moment any better.

Bear in mind that the bulk of your problems is probably simply in your head, and when you listen to the absolute best music, keep in mind this fact. Find a way to study that you will love, but don’t forget to give yourself breaks and act as if the outcome of this test has no bearing on your life. You have just taken the decision to put your skills to the test, and after you have received confirmation of your exceptionality, you will confidently go on to more difficult endeavors. Don’t be concerned; things will work out just fine in the end.

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Phobia Wiki

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Devwahrphobia

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Devwahrphobia is the fear of doing homework. Such a fear is common among children in school. People with this fear will get anxiety when their teachers announce that they will have homework to do. If a child with this fear feels they have too much they need to do, they will either not do it, or have an anxiety attack. If a child has a big enough anxiety attack, they can possibly pass out...

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5 Ways To Help Your Child Overcome The Fear Of Homework

Overcome Their Fear Of Homework

Kids often struggle with doing their homework because they’re afraid of failing at school. But parents can do things to help kids feel less anxious about home assignments and help them overcome their fear of Homework.

Do you have a child who has trouble getting motivated to do their schoolwork? This is normal, and every child goes through this feeling, so relax !!

Table of Contents

Try these 4 tips to help them overcome the fear of homework!

1. set up a schedule.

One of the biggest reasons children dread doing homework is that they do not know what is coming next. If you set up a routine for your child, they’ll know exactly what to expect each day. This will make them more likely to complete their work.

This practice will also help them to be organized, and this habit will help them not only at school but prepare for future years ahead.

This is one of the best ways to help children Overcome The Fear Of Homework.

2. Find a buddy

A study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology found that students who had friends with whom they shared their homework were less stressed than those who did not. Having a partner helps kids stay focused and track what they need to do.

You can probably work out practice to meet up at a familiar place with a friend or schoolmate or periodically switch homes for homework studies. This will make learning fun and create an environment of learning and sharing knowledge.

3. Reward the Child

Giving a reward for work well done is one technique that always works as a motivator. Set goals and reward the child for his achievement. Children love to work towards rewards and feel motivated to perform better.

If your child has difficulty completing assignments, reward them for doing well by giving them something special. This will encourage them to continue working hard.

4. Be patient

As a parent, we have expectations and wonder why the child is not picking up studies quickly. But we need to understand that not everything is obvious, and some children will take time to understand concepts and topics; we need to be patient. Give your kids the space and comfort of taking time to learn.

A lot of children struggle with anxiety when faced with new challenges. They might feel overwhelmed by the task or worried about how they’ll perform. To combat this, parents should try to remain calm and supportive.

5. Set up a Homework Station

If your child feels anxious about doing homework, set up a designated space where they can work without interruption. This will allow them to focus on the task while feeling safe and secure.

Psychologically it will also prepare them for studies as soon as they approach their Homework station. It is an excellent way to keep them organized and engaged. Try this, it is an excellent way to Help Your Child Overcome The Fear Of Homework.

Why does your child fear Homework – Here are 5 reasons.

You may be surprised by what causes your child to fear homework. Fear of homework can cause stress for both parents and children. It’s essential to understand why this occurs so that you can help your child overcome these fears.

Parents often feel guilty when they aren’t able to do everything their kids need them to do. Kids who struggle with schoolwork tend to be perfectionists.

Children who struggle with schoolwork often have low self-esteem. Many kids find math and science difficult. Kids who struggle with homework often have trouble getting along with other students.

1. They don’t understand how to study

If your child fears homework, he or she might not understand how to study effectively. This lack of understanding can lead to frustration and anxiety.

It’s also possible that your child isn’t motivated to learn because he or she feels bad about his or her performance.

2. They don’t know how to organize their time

Children who struggle with the fear of homework often don’t know how to manage their time well. They may feel overwhelmed when faced with too much work to do at once.

In addition, children who struggle with fear may not understand how to prioritize tasks. As parents, we need to guide them to overcome this mental block.

3. They don’t know where to start

If your child fears homework, he or she may not know where to begin. This lack of direction can lead to procrastination, which means the child will put off starting a task until later. Procrastination can also cause anxiety because the child feels like he or she is wasting time.

4. They don’t know what they’re supposed to learn

Your child may have fear because he or she does not understand why the assignment needs to be done. To help your child overcome his or her fears, you need to explain to him or her why doing the work is necessary.

Explain the benefits and rewards them for a job well done. Keep them motivated by finding innovative ways to make homework fun.

Why am I afraid of doing my homework?

The most common causes of anxiety during homework are 1. Students tend to be anxious and worried about homework assignments and where to start. 2. Fear of tests: Typically, homework is connected to upcoming exams and quizzes, which can affect grades.

Is there a phobia of homework?

The phobia of doing homework is called Devwahrphobia.  Such fear is common among kids in school. Children with this fear/Phobia tend to get anxious when the teachers inform them that they will have to do the homework.

Is there a teacher or School phobia?

The fear of teachers is called pediophobia. The fear of learning is named sophophobia. The fear of school is called didaskaleinophobia.

Conclusion – Why do children hate or fear homework

It is normal to Fear homework, and parents should quickly understand this. Every kid either fears or hates homework. The key is how to help them cope with this and make the home learning experience more fun. Do not criticize the kid for this; instead, show them that it is perfectly normal to hate homework and assure them that you will work with them on this together.

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Malaysia’s prime minister has condemned a rising tide of “China-phobia” in the west, as south-east Asian countries navigate the challenges and benefits of tensions between Washington and Beijing.

Anwar Ibrahim questioned why Malaysia would “pick a quarrel” with China, its largest trading partner, in response to US criticisms of his country’s ties with Beijing.

“Why must I be tied to one interest? I don’t buy into this strong prejudice against China, this China-phobia,” he said in an interview with the Financial Times in Penang, his birthplace in northern Malaysia.

The Malaysian leader’s comments underscored how the superpower rivalry has created a predicament for governments in south-east Asia, a region of 700mn on China’s doorstep that is also strategically important to the US Indo-Pacific strategy.

But the friction has also created opportunities for countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines to leverage their economic, security and political ties with the US and China.

Malaysia, which is officially neutral, seeks to maintain “good stable relations with the US [while] looking at China as an important ally”, said Anwar. He added that any claim he was leaning towards Beijing, as he said US vice-president Kamala Harris suggested at the Asean summit in Jakarta in September, was “not right and grossly unfair”.

Anwar, Malaysia’s sixth prime minister in five years, took office in November 2022 following a long journey to the political leadership. He helped steer the country through the Asian financial crisis as deputy prime minister, but was jailed twice by his mentor-turned-rival Mahathir Mohamad on politically motivated corruption and sodomy charges. He returned to public life in 2018 following a royal pardon.

As premier, Anwar has focused on resuscitating the economy after years of mismanagement and instability. Malaysia’s gross domestic product grew 3.7 per cent in 2023, down from a post-pandemic boom of 8.7 per cent in 2022, and exports have suffered because of China’s economic slowdown, with the ringgit at 20-year lows.

As part of that effort Anwar has prioritised boosting Malaysia’s manufacturing, energy and industrial sectors, often with the help of record foreign investment pledges. China’s President Xi Jinping committed an estimated RM170.1bn ($35.6bn) to Malaysia after Anwar travelled to Beijing and the Boao Forum in Hainan last year.

Weeks later, Anwar significantly changed Malaysia’s 5G network plan , paving the way for greater participation by Huawei, the Chinese telecommunications giant.

Malaysia’s semiconductor industry has capitalised on companies shifting supply chains to protect against geopolitical risk, a strategy known as “ China plus one ”. Malaysia has set up a task force focused on moving up the semiconductor value chain, and Anwar said his government was “heavily focused” on strengthening its front end wafer manufacturing capacity.

Much of that activity has focused on Penang, a former British colony that is a crucial hub for back-end chip operations such as packaging, assembly and testing. The state recorded more foreign direct investment in the first nine months of 2023 than in 2013-2018 combined, according to InvestPenang, a non-profit entity of the state government.

US chipmaker Micron Technology said in October it would invest $1bn to expand its operations in Penang, while Intel is building its first overseas facility for advanced 3D chip packaging in the state.

Chinese chip groups have also been increasing their presence in Penang, where domiciling or striking joint ventures allows them to avoid US tariffs and maintain relationships with western suppliers, according to analysts.

Former Huawei unit xFusion is partnering with local operator NationGate to manufacture graphics processing unit servers in Penang, while chip packaging and testing company TongFu Microelectronics has expanded its facility in the state in partnership with US group AMD.

Anwar said he did not anticipate conflict from the convergence of US and Chinese companies in Penang, although he added his government was advising local companies to ensure they understood relevant US policies and regulations.

Washington has for years worked to restrict China’s development of semiconductor technology, including export bans on advanced chipmaking components and equipment.

“We are a small country struggling to survive in a complex world,” Anwar said he told Harris. “I want to focus on what is best for us.”

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