School Absenteeism in Pediatric Chronic Pain: Identifying Lessons Learned From the General School Absenteeism Literature

Abstract

Although the high rates of school absenteeism among children and adolescents with chronic pain have been well-documented, school absenteeism among these youths remains a poorly understood phenomenon. Literature focusing on school avoidance or refusal in the general (non-pain) population holds potential for contributing to a better understanding of problematic school absenteeism in the pediatric chronic pain population. This article presents a focused review of what is known about school absenteeism in pediatric chronic pain and how the literature on problematic absenteeism in the general population can inform an understanding of this phenomenon.