Sometimes, your mental health can make it difficult to go to school or college. Other students might find it okay to go into school or college but then find it tricky to go to lessons. This is sometimes called “Emotionally Based School Avoidance”, or EBSA. If you are experiencing EBSA, you are not alone in this. During their time at school, lots of young people might feel this way and it’s important to have support with this.
Lots of young people can experience EBSA. Everybody is different, and how you feel might not be the same as other people. You might be experiencing EBSA if:
- You feel worried or anxious when thinking about school.
- You get upset going to school or once you are in school.
- You don’t want to go to lessons because you feel worried or scared.
- You find places in school to hide, like the toilets, so you don’t have to go to lessons.
- You feel worried on a Sunday night before school, or before you go back after a half-term/summer holiday.
What can cause this?
There are lots of reasons why it might be tricky for you to go to school or lessons. This might include:
Anxiety: You might feel anxious or worried about school in general. Sometimes there isn’t a specific reason why you don’t want to go to school. Instead, it might be because you are feeling anxious or worried.
Friendships: You might have had an argument with your friends and don’t feel comfortable going into school because of this. Or, you might not have any friends in school and feel lonely.
Bullying: You are being bullied by somebody in school and don’t feel safe to go to school.
School staff: You might feel like you don’t get on with the staff in your school or you have had an argument and don’t want to see them.
School work: You might find the work tricky in school and don’t like asking for help. You might feel uncomfortable because you struggle with the work compared to other students in your class.
Home life: You might not have an issue in school, and instead don’t want to go to school or lessons because you are worried about leaving home. You might be looking after a parent or brother/sister (this is called being a Young Carer). You might worry for the safety of your family members if they are being hurt by other people (this is sometimes called Domestic Abuse). Or you might not want to leave home because there are lots of changes happening in your life, such as your parents separating or divorcing.
Sleep: Having a good night’s sleep is important to help you feel awake and ready for school. Sometimes worrying about going to school can affect your sleep. Or you might stay up late on playing on your phone or watching TV. When you have a poor night’s sleep, you might then find it hard to get up and go to school. Over time, this can become a cycle, where you find it hard to wake up to go to school because you are up late in the night.
How to get help
Talk to a trusted adult: Sometimes the adults around you might not know how you are feeling. Being honest with them about your feelings and why you find it tricky to go to school can be a positive first step in getting the right support. If you find it hard to say how you are feeling, you could write it down in a letter, or even a text message.
Find mental wellbeing support on Branch: Use our matching questionnaire to find support options