- A recent survey of over 1,000 US parents revealed that nearly a third reported their child missed more than a week of school due to mental health issues.
- Key reasons for school absence include anxiety, physical symptoms linked to mental health, exhaustion, learning differences, bullying, and concerns about school safety, including gun violence.
- Since the pandemic, the number of children missing 10 percent or more of school days has almost doubled, affecting over 14 million students in 2021-2022.
- Experts note that school avoidance, experienced by up to 28 percent of children, is often a symptom of underlying mental health disorders like anxiety or depression.
- Psychologists advise that allowing children to avoid school due to anxiety can exacerbate the issue, recommending interventions such as talk therapy, medication, and parent-teacher collaboration.
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