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Absence from school and mental health
1Leeds General Infirmary.
Summary
Severe school attendance problems, though often overlooked, are crucial indicators of potential educational, social, and psychiatric issues in children and adolescents. Re-evaluating their significance is vital for early intervention and comprehensive care.
Area of Science:
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
- Developmental Psychology
- Educational Psychology
Background:
- School attendance problems were once a major focus in child psychiatry but are now often seen as secondary to other disorders.
- This shift may underestimate the importance of attendance issues as primary indicators of broader problems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To argue that school attendance difficulties deserve renewed attention as significant presenting complaints.
- To highlight their role as indicators of diverse present and future challenges.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature and clinical observations.
- Discussion of prevalence, features, causative factors, outcome, and management.
- Analysis of classification systems like DSM and ICD.
Main Results:
- School attendance problems, including school refusal and truancy, can mask underlying issues like anxiety and conduct disturbances.
- These difficulties are linked to a wide range of problems: educational, social, family, legal, medical, and psychiatric.
Conclusions:
- The relegation of school attendance problems may have gone too far, overlooking their diagnostic value.
- Further research is needed to address gaps in understanding their full impact and management.