Cited by 34Youth Substance Use and School AttendanceEducation during COVID-19 pandemicCOVID-19 and Mental Health

Emotionally Based School Avoidance in the Aftermath of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Neurodiversity, Agency and Belonging in School

Open access
Hamilton, Lorna G.·2024·Education Sciences

Abstract

Lockdowns at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic led to extended school closures globally, and in many countries school attendance has not recovered to pre-pandemic levels. In England, education leaders have expressed concern both about increased anxiety among pupils and chronic absenteeism post-pandemic, against a backdrop of over a decade of increasing mental health need among children and young people. This article presents a narrative review with the aims of (a) conceptualising emotionally based school avoidance (EBSA), and (b) identifying strategies for supporting children and young people experiencing psychological barriers to attending school. The underlying reasons for school being experienced as a hostile environment by a minority of pupils are explored, with research findings specifically relating to the school experiences of neurodivergent pupils in mainstream settings included as an illustrative example. The psychological constructs of belongingness and agency are discussed as potential mechanisms of change. Finally, psychologically informed strategies to address EBSA are reviewed, drawing on the framework of multiple systems of support. To reduce absenteeism in pupils experiencing EBSA, and thus avoid exacerbating educational inequalities in disadvantaged groups, it is essential to understand psychological barriers to school attendance and to work collaboratively and compassionately with pupils and families towards solutions.

The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.

Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.

A few free checks a day · papers already verified open instantly · results are public

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.3390/educsci14020156

Cites

11 of 11 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Claims the paper makes

The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.

Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.

A few free checks a day · papers already verified open instantly · results are public

Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

  • For many pupils, the pandemic marked a rupture in their relationship with school, disrupting routines, diminishing belonging and altering their engagement with learning.

    “For many pupils, the pandemic marked a rupture in their relationship with school, disrupting routines, diminishing belonging and altering their engagement with learning (Hamilton, 2024; McDonald et al., 2022).”

    From Beyond the Classroom: Strengthening Pupil Engagement, Attendance and Belonging through Alternative Education and Community Partnerships (2025) · cites this paper as Hamilton, 2024

    The Conclusions (section 6; page unavailable) say pandemic-related disruption had a lasting effect on some pupils’ relationship with school. Section 2 describes difficult returns to school, new rules and routines, and alternative ways of learning. The paper does not establish that belonging diminished for many pupils; its conclusion focuses on some pupils, including a significant minority who experience school as hostile. (LLM, conf=0.85)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Students with emotional and behavioral problems experience heightened challenges in classroom interactions and relationships with teachers, in addition to demands on their learning in the post-pandemic context.

    “As Hamilton (2024) has observed, students with emotional and behavioral problems experience heightened challenges in classroom interactions and relationships with teachers, in addition to demands on their learning in the post-pandemic context.”

    From “So That You Can Feel Well”: Perspectives of Students with Social, Emotional and Behavioral Difficulties on Factors that Support School Attendance (2025) · cites this paper as Hamilton, 2024

    Section 3, “Autistic Pupils in Mainstream Schooling” (page unavailable), describes difficult peer interactions and sensory stress that can detract from classroom learning; it also says returning to school after lockdown was particularly challenging for some autistic pupils. Section 2 discusses post-pandemic anxiety and academic catch-up pressure. These passages support parts of the claim, but they do not establish it for students with emotional and behavioral problems generally or specifically describe heightened difficulties in their relationships with teachers. (LLM, conf=0.83)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

Self-check

Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.

The self-check needs the paper’s full text.

Cites

Flagged first, then by citations

Research works printed but not linked: 72

  1. Knightsmith, P. Mental health and wellbeing: 10 challenges post-lockdown. Br. J. Child Health 2020, 1, 133-137. [CrossRef] · DOI
  2. Finning, K., Ford, T., Moore, D., Eds.; Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, UK, 2022; pp. 130-144. [CrossRef] · DOI
  3. Devine, N.; Tuari Stewart, G.; Couch, D. And slowly to school. . . Reflecting on recent school attendance reports. New Zealand J. Educ. Stud. 2023, 58, 1-4. [CrossRef] [PubMed] · DOI
  4. Tomaszewski, W.; Zajac, T.; Rudling, E.; Riele, K.T.; McDaid, L.; Western, M. Uneven impacts of COVID-19 on the attendance rates of secondary school students from different socioeconomic backgrounds in Australia: A quasi-experimental analysis of administrative data. Aust. J. Soc. Issues 2022, 58, 111-130. [CrossRef] [PubMed] · DOI
  5. Fink, E.; Patalay, P.; Sharpe, H.; Holley, S.; Deighton, J.; Wolpert, M. Mental Health Difficulties in Early Adolescence: A Comparison of Two Cross-Sectional Studies in England from 2009 to 2014. J. Adolesc. Heath 2015, 56, 502-507. [CrossRef] [PubMed] · DOI
  6. Goodman, R. The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire: A Research Note. J. Child Psychol. Psychiatry 1997, 38, 581-586. [CrossRef] [PubMed] · DOI · Paper page
  7. Wright, B.; Garside, M.; Allgar, V.; Hodkinson, R.; Thorpe, H. A large population-based study of the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people in the North of England. Clin. Child Psychol. Psychiatry 2020, 25, 877-890. [CrossRef] [PubMed] · DOI
  8. Neufeld, S.A.; Jones, P.B.; Goodyer, I.M. Child and adolescent mental health services: Longitudinal data sheds light on current policy for psychological interventions in the community. J. Public Ment. Health 2017, 16, 96-99. [CrossRef] · DOI
  9. Lereya, S.T.; Patel, M.; dos Santos, J.P.G.A.; Deighton, J. Mental health difficulties, attainment and attendance: A cross-sectional study. Eur. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry 2019, 28, 1147-1152. [CrossRef] · DOI · Paper page
  10. Arseneault, L.; Bowes, L.; Shakoor, S. Bullying victimization in youths and mental health problems: 'Much ado about nothing'? Psychol. Med. 2010, 40, 717-729. [CrossRef] · DOI · Paper page
  11. Hishinuma, E.S.; Chang, J.Y.; McArdle, J.J.; Hamagami, F. Potential causal relationship between depressive symptoms and academic achievement in the Hawaiian high schools health survey using contemporary longitudinal latent variable change models. Dev. Psychol. 2012, 48, 1327-1342. [CrossRef] · DOI
  12. Leurent, B.; Dodd, M.; Allen, E.; Viner, R.; Scott, S.; Bonell, C. Is positive school climate associated with better adolescent mental health? Longitudinal study of young people in England. SSM Ment. Health 2021, 1, 100033. [CrossRef] · DOI
  13. Van Eck, K.; Johnson, S.R.; Bettencourt, A.; Lindstrom Johnson, S. How school climate relates to chronic absence: A multi-level latent profile analysis. J. Sch. Psychol. 2017, 61, 89-102. [CrossRef] [PubMed] · DOI · Paper page
  14. Glazzard, J.; Stones, S. Supporting Young People's Mental Health: Reconceptualizing the Role of Schools or a Step Too far? Front. Educ. 2021, 5, 607939. [CrossRef] · DOI
  15. Newlove-Delgado, T.; McManus, S.; Sadler, K.; Thandi, S.; Vizard, T.; Cartwright, C.; Ford, T. Child mental health in England before and during the COVID-19 lockdown. Lancet Psychiatry 2021, 8, 353-354. [CrossRef] · DOI · Paper page
  16. Cowie, H.; Myers, C. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health and well-being of children and young people. Child. Soc. 2020, 35, 62-74. [CrossRef] · DOI
  17. Raw, J.A.L.; Waite, P.; Pearcey, S.; Shum, A.; Patalay, P.; Creswell, C. Examining changes in parent-reported child and adolescent mental health throughout the UK's first COVID-19 national lockdown. J. Child Psychol. Psychiatry 2021, 62, 1391-1401. [CrossRef] · DOI
  18. Guzman Holst, C.; Bowes, L.; Waite, P.; Skripkauskaite, S.; Shum, A.; Pearcey, S.; Raw, J.; Patalay, P.; Creswell, C. Examining Children and adolescent mental health trajectories during the COVID-19 pandemic: Findings from a year of the Co-SPACE study. JCPP Adv. 2023, 3, e12153. [CrossRef] · DOI
  19. Pearcey, S.; Burgess, L.; Shum, A.; Sajid, E.; Sargent, M.; Klampe, M.-L.; Lawrence, P.J.; Waite, P. How the COVID-19 Pandemic Affected Young People's Mental Health and Wellbeing in the UK: A Qualitative Study. J. Adolesc. Res. 2023; online first. [CrossRef] · DOI
  20. Soneson, E.; Puntis, S.; Chapman, N.; Mansfield, K.L.; Jones, P.B.; Fazel, M. Happier during lockdown: A descriptive analysis of self-reported wellbeing in 17,000 UK school students during COVID-19 lockdown. Eur. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry 2022, 32, 1131-1146. [CrossRef] · DOI
  21. Scott, S.; McGowan, V.J.; Visram, S. 'I'm Gonna Tell You about How Mrs Rona Has Affected Me'. Exploring Young People's Experiences of the COVID-19 Pandemic in North East England: A Qualitative Diary-Based Study. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 3837. [CrossRef] · DOI · Paper page
  22. Silk, J.S.; Scott, L.N.; Hutchinson, E.A.; Lu, C.; Sequeira, S.L.; McKone, K.M.P.; Do, Q.B.; Ladouceur, C.D. Storm Clouds and Silver Linings: Day-to-Day Life in COVID-19 Lockdown and Emotional Health in Adolescent Girls. J. Pediatr. Psychol. 2021, 47, 37-48. [CrossRef] · DOI
  23. Walters, A.S. School Absenteeism in the Post-pandemic World. Brown Univ. Child Adolesc. Behav. Lett. 2023, 39, 1-10. [CrossRef] · DOI
  24. Nathwani, G.; Shoaib, A.; Shafi, A.; Furukawa, T.A.; Huy, N.T. Impact of COVID-2019 on school attendance problems. J. Glob. Health 2021, 11, 03084. [CrossRef] · DOI
  25. McDonald, B.; Lester, K.J.; Michelson, D. 'She didn't know how to go back': School attendance problems in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic-A multiple stakeholder qualitative study with parents and professionals. Br. J. Educ. Psychol. 2022, 93, 386-401. [CrossRef] · DOI · Paper page
  26. Anderson, L. Schooling for Pupils with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Parents' Perspectives. J. Autism Dev. Disord. 2020, 50, 4356-4366. [CrossRef] · DOI
  27. Connolly, S.E.; Constable, H.L.; Mullally, S.L. School distress and the school attendance crisis: A story dominated by neurodiver- gence and unmet need. Front. Psychiatry 2023, 14, 1237052. [CrossRef] · DOI · Paper page
  28. Moyse, R. Missing: The Autistic Girls from Mainstream Secondary Schools. Doctoral Thesis, University of Reading, Reading, UK, 2021. Available online: https://centaur.reading.ac.uk/97405/ (accessed on 5 December 2023).
  29. O'Hagan, S.; Bond, C.; Hebron, J. Autistic Girls and Emotionally Based School Avoidance: Supportive Factors for Successful Re-engagement in Mainstream High School. Int J. Incl. Educ. 2022. [CrossRef] · DOI
  30. Mesa, S.; Hamilton, L.G. School Transitions for Autistic Young People in Mainstream Settings: A Research Report; Institute for Social Justice: York, UK, 2022. [CrossRef] · DOI
  31. Hebron, J.S. School connectedness and the primary to secondary school transition for young people with autism spectrum conditions. Br. J. Educ. Psychol. 2017, 88, 396-409. [CrossRef] [PubMed] · DOI
  32. Humphrey, N.; Hebron, J. Bullying of children and adolescents with autism spectrum conditions: A 'state of the field' review. Int. J. Incl. Educ. 2014, 19, 845-886. [CrossRef] · DOI
  33. Williams, E.I.; Gleeson, K.; Jones, B.E. How pupils on the autism spectrum make sense of themselves in the context of their experiences in a mainstream school setting: A qualitative metasynthesis. Autism 2017, 23, 8-28. [CrossRef] · DOI
  34. Fisher, M.H.; Taylor, J.L. Let's talk about it: Peer victimization experiences as reported by adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. Autism 2015, 20, 402-411. [CrossRef] · DOI
  35. Mesa, S.; Hamilton, L.G. "We are different, that's a fact, but they treat us like we're different-er": Understandings of autism and adolescent identity development. Adv. Autism 2021, 8, 217-231. [CrossRef] · DOI
  36. Bernardin, C.J.; Mason, E.; Lewis, T.; Kanne, S. "You Must Become a Chameleon to Survive": Adolescent Experiences of Camouflaging. J. Autism Dev. Disord. 2021, 51, 4422-4435. [CrossRef] · DOI
  37. Chapman, L.; Rose, K.; Hull, L.; Mandy, W. "I want to fit in. . . but I don't want to change myself fundamentally": A qualitative exploration of the relationship between masking and mental health for autistic teenagers. Res. Autism Spectr. Disord. 2022, 99, 102069. [CrossRef] · DOI
  38. Howe, F.E.; Stagg, S.D. How sensory experiences affect adolescents with an autistic spectrum condition within the classroom. J. Autism Dev. Disord. 2016, 46, 1656-1668. [CrossRef] · DOI
  39. Jones, E.K.; Hanley, M.; Riby, D.M. Distraction, distress and diversity: Exploring the impact of sensory processing differences on learning and school life for pupils with autism spectrum disorders. Res. Autism Spectr. Disord. 2020, 72, 101515. [CrossRef] · DOI
  40. Ahad, A.; Thompson, A.M.; Hall, K.E. Identifying service users' experience of the education, health and care plan process: A systematic literature review. Rev. Educ. 2022, 10, e3333. [CrossRef] · DOI
  41. Corbett, B.A.; Muscatello, R.A.; Klemencic, M.E.; Schwartzman, J.M. The impact of COVID-19 on stress, anxiety, and coping in youth with and without autism and their parents. Autism Res. 2021, 14, 1496-1511. [CrossRef] · DOI
  42. Toseeb, U.; Asbury, K. A longitudinal study of the mental health of children and adolescents with autism and their parents during COVID-19. Part 1, Quantitative Findings. Autism 2023, 27, 105-116. [CrossRef] · DOI
  43. Asbury, K.; Toseeb, U. A longitudinal study of the mental health of autistic children and adolescents and their parents during COVID-19: Part 2, qualitative findings. Autism 2022, 27, 188-199. [CrossRef] · DOI
  44. Totsika, V.; Kouroupa, A.; Timmerman, A.; Allard, A.; Gray, K.M.; Hastings, R.P.; Heyne, D.; Melvin, G.A.; Tonge, B. School Attendance Problems Among Children with Neurodevelopmental Conditions One year Following the Start of the COVID-19 Pandemic. J. Autism Dev. Disord. 2023; online first. [CrossRef] · DOI
  45. Lewis, K.; Hamilton, L.G.; Vincent, J. Exploring the experiences of autistic pupils through creative research methods: Reflections on a participatory approach. Infant Child Dev. 2023, e2467. [CrossRef] · DOI
  46. Hamilton, L.G.; Kelly, L.; Mesa, S. 'I'm able to function better when I know there's a beginning and an end time': Autistic adolescents' experiences of lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic. Autism Dev. Lang. Impair. 2023, 8, 23969415231159552. [CrossRef] · DOI
  47. Dwyer, P. The Neurodiversity Approach(es): What Are They and What Do They Mean for Researchers? Hum. Dev. 2022, 66, 73-92. [CrossRef] [PubMed] · DOI · Paper page
  48. Leary, M.R.; Baumeister, R.F. The need to belong. Psychol. Bull. 1995, 117, 497-529. [CrossRef] · DOI
  49. Jaswal, V.K.; Akhtar, N. Being versus appearing socially uninterested: Challenging assumptions about social motivation in autism. Behav. Brain Sci. 2019, 42, e82. [CrossRef] · DOI · Paper page
  50. Kapp, S.K.; Goldknopf, E.; Brooks, P.J.; Kofner, B.; Hossain, M. Expanding the critique of the social motivation theory of autism with participatory and developmental research. Behav. Brain Sci. 2019, 42, e94. [CrossRef] · DOI
  51. Mitchell, P.; Sheppard, E.; Cassidy, S. Autism and the double empathy problem: Implications for development and mental health. Br. J. Dev. Psychol. 2021, 39, 1-18. [CrossRef] · DOI
  52. Goodenow, C.; Grady, K.E. The Relationship of School Belonging and Friends' Values to Academic Motivation Among Urban Adolescent Students. J. Exp. Educ. 1993, 62, 60-71. [CrossRef] · DOI · Paper page
  53. Slaten, C.D.; Ferguson, J.K.; Allen, K.-A.; Brodrick, D.-V.; Waters, L. School Belonging: A Review of the History, Current Trends, and Future Directions. Educ. Dev. Psychol. 2016, 33, 1-15. [CrossRef] · DOI · Paper page
  54. Goodall, C. 'I felt closed in and like I couldn't breathe': A qualitative study exploring the mainstream educational experiences of autistic young people. Autism Dev. Lang. Impair. 2018, 3, 2396941518804407. [CrossRef] · DOI
  55. Myles, O.; Boyle, C.; Richards, A. The social experiences and sense of belonging in adolescent females with autism in mainstream school. Educ. Child Psychol. 2019, 36, 8-21. [CrossRef] · DOI
  56. Hebron, J.; Oldfield, J.; Humphrey, N. Cumulative risk effects in the bullying of children and young people with autism spectrum conditions. Autism 2016, 21, 291-300. [CrossRef] · DOI · Paper page
  57. Locke, J.; Ishijima, E.H.; Kasari, C.; London, N. Loneliness, friendship quality and the social networks of adolescents with high-functioning autism in an inclusive school setting. J. Res. Spec. Educ. Needs 2010, 10, 74-81. [CrossRef] · DOI
  58. Pearson, A.; Rose, K. A Conceptual Analysis of Autistic Masking: Understanding the Narrative of Stigma and the Illusion of Choice. Autism Adulthood 2021, 3, 52-60. [CrossRef] [PubMed] · DOI · Paper page
  59. Horgan, D.; Forde, C.; Martin, S.; Parkes, A. Children's participation: Moving from the performative to the social. Child. Geogr. 2016, 15, 274-288. [CrossRef] · DOI
  60. Bandura, A. Social Cognitive Theory: An Agentic Perspective. Annu. Rev. Psychol. 2001, 52, 1-26. [CrossRef] [PubMed] · DOI · Paper page
  61. Maynard, L.; Stuart, K. Promoting Young People's Wellbeing through Empowerment and Agency: A Critical Framework for Practice; Routledge: Abingdon, UK, 2017.
  62. Botha, M. Academic, Activist, or Advocate? Angry, Entangled, and Emerging: A Critical Reflection on Autism Knowledge Production. Front. Psychol. 2021, 12, 4196. [CrossRef] · DOI
  63. Houlders, J.W.; Bortolotti, L.; Broome, M.R. Threats to epistemic agency in young people with unusual experiences and beliefs. Synthese 2021, 199, 7689-7704. [CrossRef] · DOI
  64. Robinson, C.D.; Gallus, J.; Lee, M.G.; Rogers, T. The demotivating effect (and unintended message) of awards. Organ. Behav. Hum. Decis. Process. 2019, 163, 51-64. [CrossRef] · DOI
  65. Visaria, S.; Dehejia, R.; Chao, M.M.; Mukhopadhyay, A. Unintended consequences of rewards for student attendance: Results from a field experiment in Indian classrooms. Econ. Educ. Rev. 2016, 54, 173-184. [CrossRef] · DOI
  66. James, S.; Freeze, R. One step forward, two steps back: Immanent critique of the practice of zero tolerance in inclusive schools. Int. J. Incl. Educ. 2006, 10, 581-594. [CrossRef] · DOI
  67. Brown, C.; Carr, S. Education policy and mental weakness: A response to a mental health crisis. J. Educ. Policy 2018, 34, 242-266. [CrossRef] · DOI
  68. Harvey, L.J.; White, F.A.; Hunt, C.; Abbott, M. Investigating the efficacy of a Dialectical behaviour therapy-based universal intervention on adolescent social and emotional well-being outcomes. Behav. Res. Ther. 2023, 169, 104408. [CrossRef] · DOI
  69. Boaler, R.; Bond, C. Systematic School-Based Approaches for Supporting Students with Attendance Difficulties: A Systematic Literature Review. Educ. Psychol. Pract. 2023, 439. [CrossRef] · DOI · Paper page
  70. Alcorn, A.M.; McGeown, S.P.; Mandy, W.; Aitken, D.; Fletcher-Watson, S. Learning About Neurodiversity at School (LEANS): Evaluation of the LEANS resource pack in mainstream primary schools. OSF Prepr. 2023. [CrossRef] 101. · DOI
  71. Zahir, R.; Alcorn, A.M.; McGeown, S.; Mandy, W.; Aitken, D.; Murray, F.; Fletcher-Watson, S. Short report: Evaluation of wider community support for a neurodiversity teaching programme designed using participatory methods. Autism, 2023; online first. [CrossRef] 102. Gregory, I.R.; Purcell, A. Extended school non-attenders' views: Developing best practice. Educ. Psychol. Pract. 2014, 30, 37-50. [CrossRef] 103. Havik, T.; Bru, E.; Ertesvåg, S.K. Parental perspectives of the role of school factors in school refusal. Emot. Behav. Difficulties 2013, 19, 131-153. [CrossRef] 104. · DOI
  72. Corcoran, S.; Kelly, C.; Knox, L. Emotionally Based School Non-attendance: Development of a Local Authority, Multi-Agency Approach to Supporting Regular Attendance. Br. J. Spec. Educ. 2023. [CrossRef] 106. Halligan, C.; Michelson, J. Emotionally based school avoidance. In Proceedings of the Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Webinar, Online, 30 November 2022. [CrossRef] 107. Pears Family School. Pears Family School Vision and Ethos. Available online: https://www.thefamilyschoollondon.org/about/ our-vision-and-ethos/ (accessed on 13 November 2023). · DOI

Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Hamilton, L. G.
Affiliations
York St John University (GB)
Corresponding author
Hamilton, Lorna G.
Venue
Education Sciences
Publisher
MDPI AG
Published
2024-02-02
Volume
14
Issue
2
Pages
156
ISSN
2227-7102 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W4391470415
Cited by
34
References
11
Citations by year
2026: 12 · 2025: 19 · 2024: 3
FWCI
42.44
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Education Sciences (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Research at York St John (York St John University) (submittedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Education › Youth Substance Use and School Attendance
  • Social Sciences › Education › Education during COVID-19 pandemic
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › COVID-19 and Mental Health
Keywords
school absenteeism, sense of belonging, agency, school closures, COVID-19 pandemic, child mental health, educational inequality, children and young people

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›

Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review