title: Characteristics and outcomes of school refusal in Hiroshima, Japan: proposals for network therapy.
abstract: The authors conducted a study on children undergoing treatment at major school refusal treatment centers in Hiroshima Prefecture. On the whole, school refusal in the prefecture was found to peak between 13 and 14 years of age. By age group, the main reason for school refusal in elementary school group was parent-child relationship with separation anxiety. Given additional problems such as neglect at home and complicated social situations in their schools, junior high school students were found to present diverse symptoms from introversion and self-analysis to extroversion, neglect of studies, and delinquency. Among high school students, there were more cases suffering withdrawal and schizophrenia spectrum disorders. The major task regarding treatment seems to lie in how to treat complex cases combining different problems. We summarized herein the studies we have carried out and propose a model for a network therapy system based on functional liaisons between treatment centers. With this system, a child psychiatric medical facility plays the part of a liaison center for the overall network system.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Hiroshima City Child Guidance and Clinic Center, Hiroshima 732-0052, Japan. nishida5@do3.enjoy.ne.jp
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nishida
authors.forename: Shinsaku
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sugiyama
authors.forename: Shozo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aoki
authors.forename: Shigetoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kuroda
mesh_terms: D000041:Absenteeism; D000293:Adolescent; D017677:Age Distribution; D001010:Anxiety, Separation / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D002648:Child; D019058:Community Networks; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003376:Counseling; D005260:Female; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D007604:Juvenile Delinquency; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010551:Personality; D012574:Schools; D012940:Social Problems / Q000523:psychology*; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires