In the aftermath of the pandemic there has been a substantial increase in the number of students who are absent from school in the UK, and children are reporting higher levels of mental ill health than ever before.
Research has previously shown that exclusion (a child being removed from school) and truancy are linked with poor mental health.
Now, I have carried out research with colleagues to examine whether mental health leads to exclusion and truancy, or whether exclusion and truancy are in fact contributing to poor mental health in children and adolescents.
We found that the connection goes both ways. Children who struggled with their mental health were more likely to later be excluded from school and to truant. And we also found evidence that exclusion and truancy could increase their mental health difficulties.
