OCD and School Refusal

By: Kaitlyn DeStefano, B.A., Sophy Kaplan, B.A.

The presentation and symptoms of OCD are highly specific and unique to each individual, which leads to the possibility of different complexities–including school refusal. School refusal is often dismissed as defiance or laziness, but for students with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), it is a challenging factor of their diagnosis.

OCD-driven school refusal is about escaping the obsessions, compulsions, and overwhelming anxiety that are triggered by the school environment.

What is School Refusal?

School refusal sometimes emerges in children and adolescents with OCD as part of their anxiety-driven avoidance behaviors. It manifests as avoidance behaviors that impact school performance, school involvement, and executive functioning. Again, school refusal is a symptom–not the core issue.

What Does School Refusal Look Like? How Can I Help?

School refusal can include morning meltdowns, panic attacks, or physical anxiety-induced symptoms–such as stomachaches or headaches. It can also include rituals that delay getting ready to go to school, such as repeating tasks as a compulsion.

The best way to help is to approach the situation and your child with understanding. School refusal is a symptom of their OCD that causes immense anxiety for them, so understanding and treating it as a symptom is the best course of action.

Considering this: what is the best way to combat school refusal?

How to Combat School Refusal?

1. Understanding the root cause.
   1. Listening without judgment and sympathizing may help the child feel less alone. Honest and open conversations with them can help figure out potential triggers such as academic struggles, bullying, or other social difficulties.
2. Collaboration between home and school.
   1. Through the collaboration between both environments, children have the opportunity to positively increase their school performance, involvement, and functioning with an increase of awareness and reduction of mental health stigma.
3. Seeking out OCD treatment.
   1. Seeking out OCD treatment is an important step into combatting school refusal by specifically targeting the triggers that impact the child’s functioning in the school environment.

Interested in Treatment?

Experiences of school-refusal can be overwhelming and frustrating, but treatment is always available! If you or your child are experiencing school-refusal symptoms of OCD, reach out to one of our Intake Coordinators.

Phone #: 516-487-7116

Email: info@biobehavioralinstitute.com