The Relation Between the Development of School Refusal Children and Their Mother's State of Mind.

Abstract

　　This paper is to report the follow-up of the school refusal children. The purpose of this paper is to describe the relation between the development of school refusal children and their mother's state of mind by interviews.

　　A similar study was reported in the previous study, where it was described that the children have developed if their mother had strong “operational expectation”, and the children have developed little if their mother had little “operational expectation”. However the thesis left much to be desired. The classification of school refusal and mother's state of mind was not examined thoroughly. Accordingly, this paper is based on these points. Moreover it described the point for the support of school refusal chilren.

　　It was found that they could be divided into 3 groups: ① the core group: those whose major problem was an absence, ② the peripheral group: who had mental illness besides school refusal, and ③ the handicapped group: who had physically or mentally handicaps.

　　For mothers, school refusal of their child is an experience of object loss. Mothers of the core group have been shocked and tried to get their child to go to school by some means or other. After that, mothers have given up to make their child to go to school and have been able to rear their child in an appropriate way. And many children of this group adapt well to the society at the point of the interview. This process is similar to the mourning process.

　　Mothers of the peripheral group did not try to get their child to go to school. They also could not experience the mourning process. Emotional relationship between mothers and their child was insufficient. Many children in this group did not adapt to the society at the point of the interview.

　　Mothers of the handicapped group did not talk about the mourning process at the interviews, but emotional relationship between mothers and their child was not insufficient.

　　This paper described the point for the support of school refusal children. It is hoped that mothers can face their sorrow. It is also important that mothers can appreciate their child's condition.