School Refusal

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Medical Author:

Bettina E Bernstein, DO

Medical Editor:

Jerry R. Balentine, DO, FACEP

Jerry R. Balentine, DO, FACEP

Dr. Balentine received his undergraduate degree from McDaniel College in Westminster, Maryland. He attended medical school at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine graduating in1983. He completed his internship at St. Joseph's Hospital in Philadelphia and his Emergency Medicine residency at Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center in the Bronx, where he served as chief resident.

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• School Refusal Overview
• School Refusal Causes
• School Refusal Symptoms and Signs
• When to Seek Medical Care
• Diagnosis of School Refusal
• School Refusal Treatment
• Medications for School Refusal
• Other Therapy
• Next Steps
• Follow-up
• Prevention of School Refusal
• Prognosis of School Refusal
• For More Information on School Refusal
• Web Links
• Synonyms and Keywords
• Authors and Editors

School refusal occurs when a student will not go to school or frequently experiences severe distress related to school attendance. Comprehensive treatment of school refusal, including psychiatric and medical evaluation when appropriate, is important because studies show that psychiatric disorders are the cause for up to 46% of students who fail to complete high school in the United States. Parents can do several things to help their child who refuses to attend school, and treatment may be necessary. With treatment, the rate of remission is excellent; approximately 83% of children with school refusal who were treated with cognitive therapy were attending school at a one-year follow-up. School refusal is considered more of a symptom than a disorder and can have various causes.

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