Youth Avoiding School Due to Anxiety
Recent research revealed that one-third of high school students in the United Kingdom actively avoid attending school due to overwhelming anxiety. A survey involving 1,025 teenagers indicated that 48% of high school students suffer from mental health issues, including conditions such as anxiety, depression, and eating disorders. Around 28% of teenagers aged 12 to 18 abstained from attending school last year, citing their inability to cope with anxiety and stress as the primary reason. The study, conducted by the youth mental health organization stem4, underscores the significant impact of the weakening mental health of high school students on the surge in school absenteeism post-Covid.
Dr. Nihara Krause, the head of stem4, emphasized the concept of “emotionally based school avoidance” as a key factor leading to prolonged periods of non-attendance, disrupting the education of affected students. Dr. Krause highlighted that this phenomenon places a considerable burden on families and called for increased support programs targeting individuals under 18 struggling with anxiety and distress.
“Emotionally based school avoidance is a very concerning and growing phenomenon. It is different from absenteeism due to truancy. It occurs when a child or teenager experiences extreme anxiety or distress about going to school. This fear can be so overwhelming that it leads them to avoid going to school,” explained Dr. Krause, noting that a few days of absence can quickly turn into persistent absenteeism.