School Refusal: An Overview

Abstract

Traditionally, mental health professionals and school authorities have found school refusal to be a perplexing and challenging problem. Relevant to an understanding of school refusal, we initially review some important developmental-normative considerations. The clinical features, epidemiology, and etiology of school refusal are also briefly discussed. We then describe a number of behavioural strategies that have been used in the management of school refusal. Finally, we review the research support for the efficacy and acceptability of behavioural strategies in the treatment of school refusal.