Back to School Support: A Whole-Family Approach to Anxiety

Happy summer! It's hard to believe August is already here and the start of a new school year is just around the corner.

For many children and families, this time of year is filled with excitement—shopping for school supplies, reconnecting with friends, and anticipating the routines that September brings. For others, however, the approach of a new school year is accompanied by worry, uncertainty, and overwhelming anxiety.

Whether it's returning to school after a prolonged absence, starting at a new school, navigating changing friendships, or simply facing the fear of what lies ahead, the transition back to school can feel incredibly daunting. While these feelings are common, for some young people they become so overwhelming that attending school feels impossible.

I am all too familiar with these experiences as in my previous role as a School Social Worker and Attendance Counsellor, a significant part of my work involved supporting children and youth who struggled to attend school regularly. There are many reasons why young people experience school attendance challenges. For many, the barriers are rooted in significant mental health concerns, including debilitating anxiety and depression. These are often young people who genuinely want to attend school but feel unable to do so because of the overwhelming impact of their mental health.

As many of you are aware, following a significant decline in school attendance after the pandemic, the Ontario government has taken steps to tie attendance and participation to students' grades. While these changes are intended to address rising rates of absenteeism, I believe they fail to adequately address the underlying reasons why so many young people are struggling to attend school in the first place.

The purpose of this post is not to debate the shortcomings of our education system or explore why increasing numbers of students are struggling to attend school or graduate. Rather, my hope is to highlight that support is available for these children, youth, and their families.

One of my areas of specialization is supporting children and youth experiencing school attendance difficulties. The first step in our work together is to understand what is getting in the way. Through a comprehensive assessment, we identify the barriers contributing to school avoidance or absenteeism. From there, we develop a personalized plan that addresses those barriers and, whenever possible, creates a gradual, step-by-step pathway back to school that feels realistic, achievable, and supportive.

An equally important part of this work is supporting parents and caregivers. We cannot underestimate the emotional, physical, and financial toll that school attendance struggles can have on an entire family. Parents often spend countless hours trying to understand what their child is experiencing, searching for the right supports, advocating within an education system that is often stretched beyond capacity, and doing everything they can to help their child return to school successfully.

At the same time, they are navigating the stress, uncertainty, and emotional weight of watching their child struggle. They are balancing appointments, school meetings, missed work, financial pressures, and the impact these challenges can have on their relationships, their own well-being, and their family as a whole. It is exhausting. It is heartbreaking. It is incredibly stressful.

Parents want what is best for their children. They want to see them healthy, happy, and successful. Every parent is doing the best they can with the knowledge, resources, and capacity they have at the time. As we support young people, we must also remember to support those who love and care for them. When we strengthen parents and caregivers, we strengthen the foundation that helps young people heal, grow, and eventually return to learning with confidence.

Historically, the focus of treatment for children and youth with anxiety has often been on working directly with the child. However, research shows that parent-based treatment, including Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE), developed by Dr. Eli R. Lebowitz, can be as effective as individual cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for treating childhood and adolescent anxiety disorders.

This is promising news for families, as research suggests that parent-focused interventions can help reduce anxiety symptoms in children and youth. Even more encouraging, parents who participate in the SPACE program report reductions in their own parenting-related stress.

In other words, supporting parents can be an important part of supporting children.

If your child or teen is struggling to attend school due to anxiety, depression, or other mental health concerns, know that you are not alone. Support is available, and with the right plan, many young people can successfully reconnect with school in a way that feels safe and sustainable.

Please reach out to discuss ways I can support. I can be reached by email at brookmsw@gmail.com OR 519-216-5017.

You don't have to navigate this journey alone. I’m here to help!