The Perceptions of Anxiety-related School Absenteeism in Youth: A Qualitative Study Involving Youth, Mother, and Father

School absenteeism is an understudied field, and little is known about youths’ and parents’ perceptions of the problem. We examined the experiences of three youths with anxiety-related school absenteeism and their parents using a qualitative phenomenological approach. Results highlight the overarching domains consisting of the contribution of individual, school, and parental factors. Underlying main themes were also identified. These included: ambivalence towards school attendance, school at the organisational level, school at the student-teacher level, school at the student-peer level, parental responsibility, and limited understanding and knowledge concerning school absenteeism. Furthermore, subthemes were identified. Findings are discussed and practice implications are outlined, including the need for developing a common policy and procedure concerning anxiety-related school absenteeism in Danish schools.