Clinical Round Table 22 - Comprehensive and Intensive Evidence-based Treatment Models for School Avoidance in Youth

Approximately 5% of youth presenting for mental health treatment struggle with school avoidance, and other challenges around school attendance such as arriving late or leaving the classroom are far more common. The COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbated these issues, as many students struggled to engage in online learning, became socially isolated, and experienced challenges transitioning back to in-person learning. School avoidance is a transdiagnostic issue with sources of distress related to a variety of mental health challenges (e.g., social anxiety, panic disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder). Given the rising rates, negative impact of the pandemic, diagnostic complexity, and impairment and risks associated with missing school, these patients are often referred for more intensive, daily treatment (e.g., intensive outpatient, partial hospitalization). Treatment also necessitates parent involvement to increase consistency and reduce anxiety accommodation. Thus, intensive and comprehensive services are imperative to support an expeditious and successful return to school. Together, a multidisciplinary team of experts on school avoidance will present innovative ways of using evidence-based assessment and intervention to support youth in returning to school and managing anxiety symptoms, with a focus on the importance of delivering these services in a culturally competent manner. Services to provide parents with necessary tools to support youth such as communication/problem solving skills and behavioral management strategies will be shared. Panelists will also discuss: (a) functional assessment of school avoidance behavior, (b) use of evidence-based interventions following from the functional assessment, (c) effective partnership between child, family, school, and treatment team, and (d) close collaboration of different disciplines in our program (psychology, psychiatry, social work, education). Finally, panelists will share the development of specialized cognitive behavioral school avoidance services for youth requiring acute levels of care, as well as a parent specific intervention aimed to reduce anxiogenic parenting and to improve boundary setting.