Overview

• A mid-August Ipsos survey of 1,015 U.S. parents for The Kids Mental Health Foundation found that nearly a third of children who feared or felt anxious about school were absent for more than a week last year.
• Among students avoiding school, 42% reported feeling too unwell to attend and 20% said they were too exhausted to go.
• Psychologists cite social pressures, academic stress, speaking or test anxiety and undiagnosed learning disabilities as major drivers of school refusal.
• Experts caution that accommodating avoidance by keeping children home can deepen their anxiety and entrench refusal behaviors.
• The Kids Mental Health Foundation recommends cognitive behavioral therapy and provides free evidence-based resources to help families address anxiety and boost attendance.