School Refusal: A Hidden Challenge for Working Parents.

Abstract

School refusal is rising globally and has reached an all-time high in Japan. It imposes critical work-family conflict on employed parents, with preliminary surveys linking it to job loss, depression, and anxiety. Despite its public-health importance, work-family conflict due to school refusal has scarcely been studied in occupational health. This Opinion reviewed existing research on parents of school-refusing children, discuss how occupational health professionals can support this underserved population, and outline priorities for future research to mitigate the impacts on working-age parents' health and employment.