Emotional Based School Avoidance (EBSA)

So I have been seeing quite a few clients with this lately. When I worked in schools there was a very high number of young people school avoiding. So what is EBSA?

Emotional school avoidance is when a young person avoids school due to anxiety and mental health. It usually begins through transition to secondary school (year 7) but can happen at any point especially if it is due to bullying or another issue that has just started in school.

Transition to secondary school is a very challenging time. Young people go from being the oldest in the school, a calming environment and having only the 1 classroom, to a larger school with a lot more people and many classrooms and teachers to navigate. It can be very overwhelming and if the school does not recognise this or have a really good transition in place, young people get anxious, overthink and then avoid the anxiety and stay at home. The more they stay at home, the more nervous they get to return and the more they miss out on.

Theory states that there is certain needs that have to be met for a young person in order for them to build resilience and growth (Maslow Hierarchy). During transition, a lot of these needs are missed and not met including safety and connection. This leads to the young person not being able to build on the levels and progress. Many mental health issues also begin around this age as the young person is developing so this adds extra pressure.

EBSA needs to be recognized early so that interventions can begin early.

There are many interventions to use but it all begins with history and teaching of anxiety and the way it forms in the young person.

I love working with EBSA and seeing a young person grow in confidence. With the right space and time, a young person can really grow and learn about themselves and take on the challenges they first couldnt.

Contact me if you would like to know more or have some support with this!