title: Relationship between school absenteeism and depressive symptoms among adolescents with juvenile fibromyalgia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe school absences in adolescents with Juvenile Primary Fibromyalgia Syndrome (JPFS) and examine the relationship between school absenteeism, pain, psychiatric symptoms, and maternal pain history.
  
  
  METHODS
  Adolescents with JPFS (N = 102; mean age 14.96 years) completed measures of pain and depressive symptoms, and completed a psychiatric interview. Parents provided information about the adolescents' school absences, type of schooling, and parental pain history. School attendance reports were obtained directly from schools.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Over 12% of adolescents with JPFS were homeschooled. Those enrolled in regular school missed 2.9 days per month on average, with one-third of participants missing more than 3 days per month. Pain and maternal pain history were not related to school absenteeism. However, depressive symptoms were significantly associated with school absences.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Many adolescents with JPFS experience difficulties with regular school attendance. Long-term risks associated with school absenteeism and the importance of addressing psychological factors are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA. susmita.kashikar-zuck@cchmc.org
authors.forename: Susmita
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kashikar-Zuck
authors.forename: Megan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Johnston
authors.forename: Tracy V
authors.initials: TV
authors.lastname: Ting
authors.forename: Brent T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Graham
authors.forename: Anne M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Lynch-Jordan
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Verkamp
authors.forename: Murray
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Passo
authors.forename: Kenneth N
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Schikler
authors.forename: Philip J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Hashkes
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Spalding
authors.forename: Gerard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Banez
authors.forename: Margaret M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Richards
authors.forename: Scott W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Powers
authors.forename: Lesley M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Arnold
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lovell
mesh_terms: D000041:Absenteeism; D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005356:Fibromyalgia / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010146:Pain / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D012574:Schools