[Course of School Absenteeism 1.5-3 Years After Initial Evaluation: Symptoms, Psychosocial Functioning, and Help-Seeking Behavior].

Course of School Absenteeism 1.5-3 Years After Initial Evaluation: Symptoms, Psychosocial Functioning, and Help-Seeking Behavior Abstract.

Objective

To explore the course of patients with school absenteeism 1.5-3 years after their initial evaluation, including symptoms, school attendance, psychosocial functioning, and help-seeking behavior. Method: Of the 237 patients from specialized psychiatric units for youths displaying school absenteeism, we successfully contacted 108 of them 1.5-3 years after initial admission. We conducted a telephone interview with their parents (SDQ, school situation, help-seeking behavior). Among others, we analyzed the extent of school absenteeism, the scales of the Inventory of School Attendance Problems (ISAP; Knollmann et al., 2019), and the quality of school absenteeism (school refusal vs. truancy vs. mixed group) at admission as possible predictors.

Results

The patients had received an extensive amount of youth-welfare measures and inpatient, daycare, and outpatient therapy. 46.3 % had elevated values in the SDQ total score at follow-up, mostly because of emotional problems or problems with peers. Psychosocial functioning, including school attendance, was described as poor for only about 30 %. School attendance problems were significantly predicted by having a conduct disorder and elevated scores on the ISAP-scales Aggression, Teacher Problems, and Peer Problems, though the effect sizes were weak.

Conclusions

Externalizing symptoms and associated psychosocial problems seem to be predictive of a negative course of school absenteeism. Implications for prospective longitudinal studies are discussed.