[School absenteeism: Preliminary developments and maintaining persisting challenges].

A first step when considering school absenteeism is to understand the meaning and definition of the term. School absenteeism encompasses several terms such as school refusal, truancy and school phobia, all of which have been used inconsistently and confusingly in the past. Furthermore, the question of how many days of absence can be seen as problematic remains unclear. Due to these definitional problems, available data is inconsistent. Therefore, the prevalence rates of school absenteeism can only be estimated (about 5 % of all students). School absenteeism affects not only individual students, but also family, school and society structures. In order to establish appropriate support and intervention programs, a multimodal as well as an individual approach should be considered to address this interdependency. The primary goal, however, should be the students’ resumption of a regular school attendance, which requires a strong cooperation between parents, schools, youth welfare services and psychotherapeutic offers. If therapeutic interventions are required, it is highly recommended to start with outpatient treatment. If school attendance still remains irregular an inpatient treatment should follow.