Emotionally Based School Non-Attendance

Understanding and supporting students who struggle to attend school due to anxiety and mental health difficulties

Anxiety about going to school

Children and young people can feel anxious about going to school or college for many reasons. Sometimes the anxiety that’s felt can be so high that it can get in the way of going to school or college at all

This is called Emotionally Based School Non-Attendance (EBSNA)

Like most anxiety disorders, EBSNA can be successfully treated by a form of psychological treatment called Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). This model teaches a child or young person who is anxious to identify the reasons for their anxiety and find alternative ways to deal with it, learn to challenge negative thoughts and face their fear of going to school one small step at a time.

Why It Happens

stem4 conducted a survey of 1,025 young people in the UK and found that 3 in 10 young people are avoiding school, college or university due to their mental health.

Analysis of state school attendance rates by the FFT Datalab found that following the pandemic, cost of living crisis and rising rates of mental ill health amongst young people, the rates of unauthorised absences have doubled since 2019. Similarly, a survey conducted by Unite Students in 2023 found that ⅓ of students hoping to go to university experienced disruptions to their education due to their mental health. 14% of the 37,000 young people surveyed said they had missed up to 20 days of education due to mental health struggles. This rate increased for students who were neurodivergent or had a disability.

Of the 1,025 children and young people surveyed, four in ten (41%) say “it’s better to avoid anxiety-provoking situations than to learn how to tackle and overcome my fears.” Of the young people surveyed by stem4, a substantial majority (84%) of 12-21 year olds say that over the past 12 months they have avoided situations that make them feel anxious and uncomfortable. These include public speaking (40%), talking to people they don’t know (35%), going to school, college, university or work (29%), making new friends (26%) and even dating (19%).

This trend has been referred to as Emotionally Based School Non-Attendance (EBSNA), as children and young people are struggling to attend school because of mental ill health (it was previously called Emotionally Based School Avoidance).

stem4 Resources for EBSNA

stem4 provides a range of practical tools and programmes to support students struggling with EBSNA:

Clear Fear for Schools

Our brand new digital programme based on the award-winning Clear Fear app helps students manage stress and anxiety whilst building resilience. Clear Fear provides:

Self-guided tools for students to learn and practice coping strategies 24/7
Whole-school resources for teachers, students, and parents/carers
Anonymous data insights to track trends and measure impact

Learn more about Clear Fear for Schools.

Secondary School Workbook

For students in secondary education, the workbook “Worried about going to secondary school or college?” provides:

Evidence-based exercises to help reduce stress, anxiety and fear
Practical activities to understand blocks to attending school
Guidance for parents/carers and teachers to support the student

This workbook is available for free download when you sign up for the Clear Fear for Schools mailing list or can be purchased here.

Further Support

Podcasts: stem4’s Understanding Teen Minds series offers advice for parents, carers, and educators

Apps: Tools such as Calm Harm, Move Mood, and Combined Minds support coping skills, self-harm management, and family engagement

About Dr. Nihara Krause

Dr. Nihara Krause MBE, Consultant Clinical Psychologist and founder of stem4, has extensive experience supporting young people with anxiety, low mood, self-harm, and eating disorders. She developed Clear Fear, Calm Harm, Move Mood, and other stem4 programmes, combining clinical expertise with practical tools for schools, students, and families.