Anxiety & Mental Health

What do you do when your child won’t go to school or is overly anxious about attending?

It can be heart-breaking and frustrating for a parent/carer to manage. Education plays a key role in children’s development, and frequent absence from school increases the likelihood of a range of adverse outcomes in childhood and later life. This includes poor academic performance, social isolation, economic deprivation and unemployment in adulthood. There are many risk factors for frequent school absence, including factors related to the child and their family, school and community.

Poor mental health has previously been linked to poor school attendance, with anxiety often described as a key risk factor. There are many aspects of the school setting that may cause anxiety, such as separation from parents/carers, social interaction with peers and school staff, and academic stress. This may lead children to avoid school in an attempt to reduce their anxiety, at least in the short-term. Somatic symptoms such as headaches and tummy-aches are also common in children with anxiety, and may further contribute to their absence from school.

It is important that if you have any concerns around your child’s mental health that you make an appointment with you GP.