An ARC East of England study has found the significant impact of school absenteeism on parents’ health and wellbeing, ranging from strained relationships to increasing stress and causing financial pressure. The findings call for schools to prioritise delivering training that provides parents with timely support to help them navigate these challenges.
Regular school non-attendance among children is known to be detrimental to their academic achievement, wellbeing, social skills and transition into adulthood. However, little is known about the effects of absenteeism on parents. New research published in PLOS One addresses this gap in knowledge, highlighting the impact of this on parents’ health, wellbeing and their daily lives.
The study found that parents of children with frequent school absences face significant stress levels, increased strain on marital and family relationships, and considerable financial pressures. These all contribute to poorer mental health and the need for professional mental health support. These challenges are exacerbated when the child has additional needs, including Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) or complex health conditions.
Researchers from the University of Hertfordshire, Dr Amanda Ludlow, Jasmine Chavda, and Professor Daksha Trivedi, explored the experiences of parents whose children do not regularly attend school. The study aimed to identify solutions to support parents during this period and prevent worsening mental health. This research project is part of the ARC East of England’s ongoing research into addressing the mental health needs of our communities.
"The impact of a child not attending school has far reaching consequences for the entire family. Clearer guidance needs to be provided to signpost support for families."
Dr Amanda Ludlow, Co-Principal Investigator of this study
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, school absences have been one of the most difficult challenges that both parents and schools have faced, with one-fifth of children persistently absent from school. Children and young people with SEND are at greater risk of school non-attendance, as reasonable adjustments may not be in place to support their needs. Schools and local authorities have a range of legal powers that can be used if a child is missing from school without a legitimate reason, which includes imposing fines. However, schools may not consider the barriers and lack of support that these parents face. By highlighting parents’ experiences of school non-attendance, this study marks a significant milestone in advocating for parents' mental health needs.
The project conducted interviews with 11 parents across the UK whose children, aged 7–16 years, do not attend school. Parents described how even the thought of school placed a significant emotional burden on their children, often resulting in anxiety, panic attacks, and self-harm. They shared how difficult it was to manage these challenges, which led to financial insecurity due to difficulties in securing or maintaining employment, care and advocacy fatigue, and serious physical and mental health issues, including physical exhaustion, anxiety, and depression.
The study also identified the impact that this has on the wider family. Siblings who attend school frequently find their needs unmet, while marital relationships face strain. Parents described an overwhelming sense of loss in many aspects of their lives, including their careers, their relationships, and their identity.
“He wasn’t enjoying it. It wasn’t fun to not be happening, you know. He was distraught by the fact that he couldn’t cope, and that he couldn’t be in school because he wanted to be there.” “… he just couldn’t cope.”
Anonymous, participant in the study
“There have been big negatives … I had to give up my career … and now I live on benefits because it was just impossible to work and juggle all of that stress. So, that’s been massive for me personally, for my mental health as well as you know, the financial impacts on the family, because I liked my job, I liked my career.
Anonymous, participant in the study
“And now I feel very much like, I’ve just might become a carer and that is hard, and it’s hard because you can never let them know that that’s an impact if that makes sense. So, you have to kind of act like it’s not a big deal when it actually is!”
Anonymous, participant in the study
The project has produced recommendations for the Government to implement within schools, local authorities, and mental health services. These include tailored mental health support for parents, mandatory teacher training to strengthen their ability to support parents, and personalised resources for parents on how to support their child back to school. Other recommendations include comprehensive SEND training for teachers, so they are equipped to identify and respond to children’s needs, helping to prevent school absenteeism.
With the Government announcing individual minimum targets for every school to improve attendance levels, these recommendations offer support to both schools and parents in addressing school absenteeism. The study has already shared its preliminary findings at events across the University of Hertfordshire.
To hear more about the study, get in touch with the research team: Jasmine Chavda (j.chavda2@herts.ac.uk) or Amanda Ludlow (a.ludlow@herts.ac.uk).
"This study is really important because supporting people with caring responsibilities is now a big part of the prevention agenda and, increasingly, comes up in our research and community work."
Dr Claire Thompson, Theme Lead of the ARC East of England Prevention and Early Detection in Health and Social Care theme
