A Description of School Refusal Behavior in Adolescents Prior to Acute Care Admission.

This article focuses on describing school refusal (SR) behaviors among adolescents admitted to a U.S. adolescent partial hospitalization program (PHP) using the School Interference Questionnaire (SIQ), a novel assessment tool designed to complement existing measures. The study of 91 youth aged 13 to 18 found high rates of SR, including full-day absences, arriving late, leaving early, and leaving the classroom, with youth spending most of their time at home and on electronics when absent. Moderate agreement was observed between youth and caregiver reports on school absences and behaviors, though discrepancies existed regarding specific behaviors and time use. The findings highlight the SIQ's utility in capturing the frequency, types, and impact of SR behaviors to inform tailored interventions and underscore the importance of multi-informant assessment in clinical settings.