Dr. Julie Ryan Authors Boston Globe Letter to the Editor on Anxiety-Related School Refusal

Dr. Julie Ryan, associate professor and director of the Children and Families of Adversity and Resilience concentration at William James College, authored a Letter to the Editor in the June 23, 2024 edition of the Boston Globe, thanking the author and addressing the critical issue of school refusal and anxiety among students. The letter is in response to an article that ran on June 12 by Mandy McLaren, Some Massachusetts students are so anxious, they're missing school for months on end. What can schools do?

The letter emphasizes the importance of understanding various types of anxiety that can lead to school refusal, such as social fears, separation anxiety, and general anxiety. It stresses the need for early intervention, noting that swift action within days significantly improves outcomes compared to delayed responses.

Schools are encouraged to adopt proactive measures, such as implementing consistent support plans managed by school psychologists or counselors. Accommodations, like assigning a trusted adult to greet students each morning, can make a profound difference in reassuring students and preventing prolonged absences.

A link to the letter can be found here.

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